IG Fic Series 2013 Book Eight : Eye of the Storm
by Aline Riva
Summary: When Gadget agrees to take part in a dangerous experiment, it goes disastrously wrong and almost costs him his life. But whilst in the machine named Eye of the Storm, Gadget saw a terrible future that echoed the alternative past. His visions are dismissed as bad dreams - until events begin to unfold and it seems he's about to pay the ultimate price for tinkering with the timeline..
1. Chapter 1

IG Fic series 2013 Book 8: Eye of the Storm

**Author Notes: This is book 8 in my 10 book IG fic series, and follows on from the end of Book 7 MirrorFace.**

* * *

Summary: 

Six months have passed since Inspector Gadget recovered from the cybernetic virus, and with Dudley Blackmore behind bars, memories of the case are fading and Gadget is getting on with life – and continuing his affair with Sylvia Rush. But a new threat is looming over Riverton – an anti technology terrorist group are targeting Braydon Industries, and when Gadget finds out the reason is Taylor's new project, he demands to be told more.

Taylor explains he has agreed to help finance the building of a powerful device named Eye of the Storm, which is capable of sending a human subject into a three dimensional world where any battle or crisis scenario can be played out – it is the ultimate training machine, and has been designed to extend the Gadget project and take it a step further, but the machines function poses significant risk to the user – and when Gadget is told investors are getting impatient and future funding for the Gadget Project is dependent on his agreement to use the machine, he feels he has no choice but to take that risk...

Once he is locked into the machine and the process begins, Gadget finds himself in a future where the altered past is rapidly catching up and two timelines are clashing, causing a space-time disturbance that will bring about the end of the world. Just as he sees the shadow of Claw merging with Sanford, the experiment goes disastrously wrong, leaving Gadget in cardiac arrest.

He survives the ordeal – but on waking, is told the experiment never got started and his arrest was due to the cybernetic drugs administered on entry to the machine. His visions while in the Eye of the Storm are dismissed as nightmares. But then as life begins to echo some of what he saw and heard, Gadget wonders if his use of the time machine has triggered a coming disaster...

It seems time is still trying to set itself right, Sanford is becoming distant and more resentful as Riley wakes in a cyborg body, and is then devastated to learn Megan had no intention of going back to him. And then Gadget discovers Brenda has been keeping a secret from him that will eventually end their marriage.

As the time line seems to echo so much of the alternative past, Gadget feels haunted by what he witnessed inside the machine – and decides the only way to try to make sense of it, is to risk his life and enter the machine one last time to discover if his visions are no more than nightmares, or a warning of what is to come...

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Rated T

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Warnings: Some violence, some adult themes/discussions and some content that may be considered erotic by some.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is a work of fan fiction.

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Chapter 1

The Gadget Mobile was snoring outside the beach house.

The sky was blue and the sea was rushing to shore as the cry of gulls sounded above the roll of the ocean and the sun rose on a new morning.

Inspector Gadget was leaning on the low wall at the back of the house that overlooked the beach, he kept his gaze on the horizon as his thoughts wandered beyond it, and he felt quite alone.

_He hated keeping secrets._

Everyone else was still sleeping. Megan and Felix wouldn't be up until late because Felix didn't open the tattoo studio until ten in the morning. Brenda would wake soon when the alarm beeped and get ready to start another day at the cybernetics center...

Gadget had got dressed quickly and quietly, sneaking out of the house and feeling more than a little guilty as he thought of his reasons for getting up so early:

He was off to spend a couple of hours with Sylvia before he went to work.

Gadget smiled as he thought about the look he would see in her eyes – she wasn't expecting him, and he loved to gain unlawful entry to her apartment with use of his go go gadget skeleton key, walk silently up to her bed and put his hand over her mouth.

It was the look of shock as she opened her eyes and saw him standing over her; it gave him a thrill every single time... After she got over that shock, she would wrap her arms around him and welcome him into her bed.

He had never planned to have an affair, he had never wanted to cheat on Brenda. He had tried and failed to keep away from Sylvia, and he had always thought the oldest excuse in the book was a weak one until he found himself using it too, because it was the only statement that carried complete honesty with it:

_He loved her..._

As Gadget walked over to his car, he thought again about Brenda and guilt pricked at his conscience. He thought back to all the years they had been together and felt more than a little sad that he had been distracted by another woman.

But he loved her, he could not walk away from Sylvia, because the pain of his heart being torn in half was something he could only compare to the pain he had suffered when he had lost more than half his human body all those years before and become a cyborg.

Nothing in life had ever been easy, and little made sense. But he accepted that, _because_ he loved her.

As he got into the car and started up the engine, the Gadget Mobile jumped to life.

"Not _another_ early start!" the car complained, "I know where you're going and it's _not _police business!"

Gadget looked down at the face on the screen as the engine purred smoothly.

"And its none of your business either!"

"I know nothing!" the car replied, "And I _want_ to know nothing, too!"

"That's what I like to hear," Gadget replied, and pulled out of the driveway and on to the road that led to the Riverton Highway.

By the time the car had gathered speed on the open, empty road, Gadget was smiling and thoughts of feeling guilty were pushed to the back of his mind. He thought of Sylvia waking to find him in her bedroom and his heart beat faster.

* * *

As Gadget crossed the bridge and headed into East Riverton, he saw the tall buildings looming closer and thought again about how Jax had built the complex that was now housing owned by Braydon Industries. When Sylvia had told him Jax was her father, he had been shocked. It had seemed as if the timeline had twisted about, as if the other past was trying to reach in and set the record straight, fighting against the changes he had made when he used the time machine.

He still wondered if there was a price to be paid for tinkering around with time. Echoes of the other timeline kept on sliding in, tiny ones, but all the same very much present:

Sanford had not forgiven him for the day of the accident at the bridge, even though six long months had passed by. He had been distant every time they had met since the accident, and when he did talk, he talked mainly of Riley, who was still making a long recovery after a great deal of cybernetic repair work.

Gadget knew Riley would hate his new body. It would probably destroy him emotionally, just as it had in the other time line. It was a terrible thing to wish on the son of a close friend, but knowing how events had turned out before, Gadget sincerely wished Riley had died in his fall from the bridge – because to exist in a cyborg body would be worse than death to a young man who found the idea of cybernetics unthinkable...

Sanford still worked at the security center, but these days when his voice came through on the internal wire, they no longer talked like old friends, and Gadget missed that closeness sorely.

He thought no more about life and regrets as he parked the Gadget mobile and then got out.

He entered the apartment building and walked down the corridor, then activated his skeleton key. He slid it into the lock, and then retracted the key back into his fingertip. Gadget pushed the door open, went inside and closed it quietly behind him. He made his way up the hallway towards her bedroom door, and by the time he opened it, his other hand was unbuckling his belt.

He went over to her bed and stood there for a moment, watching her sleep with her long fair hair fanned out on the pillow. Then he silently extended his hand from the wrist, clamping it over her mouth.

She woke with a jolt, snapping her eyes open in fear.

Then as she looked up and saw her cyborg lover in his trench coat and fedora hat standing over her with metal gleaming at his wrist as his extended hand silenced her, and the look of fear was replaced with relief.

Gadget took his hand off her mouth.

"I've been thinking about you."

"I've missed you too," she said softly.

As she sat up he slid his extended hand to the back of her head, gently gripping her hair as he wound in his hand back to the wrist, drawing her closer to his body as he pushed aside his open trench coat.

"_Show me how much you've missed me,"_ he said in a low voice, and then he caught his breath as her mouth collided with scarred flesh and clusters of wiring.

* * *

Brenda Bradford had arrived at work not giving a second thought to why Gadget was often in the habit of leaving for work so early these days – she knew he was fond of his job and simply assumed he liked to make an early start. She guessed it didn't help that their love life had not been great for the past few months, but she had tried to explain to Gadget that didn't want to get intimate with him if he left the plate off his body, but Gadget didn't seem to understand that she would rather look at cybernetic metal and sensors than flesh and wiring buried beneath skin.

She was hoping he would eventually put the plate back on, and had said no more about the subject.

As she turned her thoughts to work, she briefly glanced at the photo that had been on her desk in a frame for almost twenty years: Her and Gadget, before his accident, back in the days when he was a security guard named John Brown. Warmth lit up in her eyes as she thought of all the years they had shared, but mostly, of how her work on his shattered human body had saved his life so long ago and created Riverton's greatest detective.

Then she switched on her computer, accessed some patient notes and thought only of work, because today would not be easy for anyone concerned - Robo Gadget was being woken from his electronic coma, and Kramer had asked to be there for him when he opened his eyes.

Nothing would ever be easy for Robo Gadget again, his circuits and wiring had been damaged by the corrosive leak that had run through his body after he had been deactivated without having the bullet wounds repaired. It had been a difficult task to keep him functioning at all after cleaning up the mess inside his robotics, and the consequence of that would be something he would have to live with forever...

Just as she finished checking through his programming details, she heard voices carrying up the corridor and growing closer:

"Thank you so much Penny," said Robo Brenda," You are so sweet to look after Fifi for me this morning! I'll be back to pick her up around ten – no, make it eleven – I'm going shopping after Kramer goes back to work... see you soon, honey, bye..."

And then as she ended her call, her tone of voice changed and she sounded confused.

"Kramer, why _did_ you ask me to come with you? I don't even _want_ to see Robo Gadget again!"

"Because it's the right thing to do," he replied, and then they walked through the open doorway and Brenda got up from her desk.

"Are you sure you both want to be here?" she asked, "I didn't mean to overhear the conversation but –"

"Yes, we both want to see him," the spiky-haired scientist replied, and Robo Brenda rolled her eyes.

"All of a sudden, everything's about poor Robo Gadget!" she complained, "I'm staying for five minutes, Kramer – and then I'm leaving!"

And Brenda felt caught in an awkward situation. As Robo Brenda stood there twirling a lock of her fire-red hair around her finger, she had a look in her eyes that said she would rather be anywhere in the world at this moment than here, but Kramer was obviously determined that Robo Gadget would wake up with those he was closest to around him, no matter how Robo Brenda felt about it...

"I'm only asking because there's a lot to consider," Brenda added, "He suffered repairable damage to some of his robotics and programming. Thankfully the damage is confined to physical function, he still has the water damage to his electronic mind but he has always handled that, and he's now got some built in cybernetic chemicals designed to constantly flow and keep his artificial brain chemistry at on an even keel, so that should be the end of his mood swings. But how he reacts to the lasting damage will determine how he eventually learns to cope with his life. He needs a lot of support."

And she looked at Robo Brenda, who looked over her shoulder, saw no one behind her and then looked back at Brenda with a mystified expression on her painted face.

"He's going to need a _lot_ of help," Brenda added.

"Good thing he's in here, then!" Robo Brenda said brightly.

And Brenda looked at her android counterpart and, not for the first time, found herself wishing Sanford Scolex had not, long ago, asked Kramer to build a robot plaything in her image – she knew Robo Brenda's attitude was down to her programming and all that created her artificial intelligence, but when it came _intelligence,_ Brenda thought of her using that term _very_ loosely indeed...

"How bad are you estimating the damage to be?" Kramer asked, and Brenda turned to look at him, not bothering to include Robo Brenda who clearly wanted no involvement in the conversation.

"I've been scanning all his artificial pathways on a daily basis – covering both nerve function and robotic function - and the corrosion that wiped out much of it can't be repaired. The pathways that control movement to his lower limbs is destroyed. He'll never walk again. There's also the fact that some corrosive matter will always be trapped in his body, and some of it contaminated the artificial skin beneath the surface, so he's going to have times when his robotic fluid tries to flush the toxins out, and that will cause pain and swelling that could show up anywhere and require immediate removal by lancing the site of the swelling and draining out the toxin. Because he has a latest model android body it's unfortunate that he's capable of feeling pain in these circumstances, but there's nothing we can do to prevent that."

Kramer's eyes clouded with sadness.

"It's difficult to imagine an android having problems that can't be fixed," he said to her, "I think about how he was put together and it's only when I remember the damage he sustained the first time he was deactivated, that I remember why he can't be repaired again. How long can you keep him here?"

"As long as possible," she assured him, "He wont be leaving until he's adapted to his new life."

And she briefly glanced at Robo Brenda, and then turned back to Kramer as she dreaded hearing the answer to her question:

"Will he be going back to live you both?"

"No way!" Robo Brenda said in a shrill voice, "I'm not letting him near me or Fifi or Kramer –" And she put her arm around Dr Kramer, who shot her a look of annoyance and pushed her hand off his shoulder, "I haven't forgotten – have _you_ forgotten, Brenda? Has it slipped your mind that Robo Gadget beat up _m_y boyfriend?"

She gave a weary sigh, wishing Kramer had left Robo Brenda at home.

"No, but as I said he's had his mood stabilized –"

"_We're not looking after him."_

Again, Brenda felt caught in an awkward situation. One look at Kramer told her the scientist very much wanted to take Robo Gadget home, but with Robo Brenda's mind so firmly set against the idea, it would be impossible.

"Well there are alternatives," Brenda said carefully, "I could have him placed in an institution – I mean one with a _good_ reputation, where he would be looked after."

Kramer had briefly felt a flash of panic and it showed in his eyes.

"I'm not having him locked up in unit with dangerous and out of control androids!" he said, "I won't let that happen!"

"Then maybe we can think about perhaps keeping here on a permanent basis, of course permanent won't be forever – maybe for a few months, but eventually I'll run out of excuses for him to fit the criteria for being an inpatient. Then he will _have_ to be found a permanent place _somewhere_."

As Brenda looked at Kramer and his android partner, she silently hoped that in time Robo Brenda's attitude would change, because Robo Gadget would not be able to cope with being locked in a unit that was little more than a prison...

Kramer fell silent for a moment, and then he drew in a deep breath and looked back at Brenda.

"Let's get on with this," he said quickly, "He should reboot rapidly now he's recovered. Let's wake him up."

* * *

It was almost eight thirty and the morning sunlight fell soft through pale nets that hung at Sylvia's bedroom window.

Gadget was breathless as he clung to her, she was breathing hard and her eyes were still closed and her face was flushed as she fell back against the pillow. Gadget's skin was damp against hers and the sheets carried the scent of sweat and oil.

As he let go of her the wiring that had shot such pleasure through his body was still alive with the feel of it as the last of the cybernetic fluid leaked out and ran across his hip and on to the sheets as he turned on his side and looked at her.

"_It just gets better and better with you..."_

Gadget had spoken breathlessly as sweat ran down his chest and over microchips.

As she opened her eyes and looked at him, he felt his heart miss a beat.

"_I wish..."_

Gadget stopped right there, saying no more as thoughts entered his mind that he dared not voice aloud. He ran his fingers through her hair, kissed her and then put his arm around her, pulling her close.

"What do you wish? I want to know."

He was rapidly recovering his breath as he shook his head and spoke again.

"It doesn't matter," he told her, feeling an ache in his heart that refused to be silenced, "I dream about the things I _can _have. I don't waste time on the impossible."

She started to smile as she traced a gentle fingertip down the chips that were set in his chest.

"You know what they say, Gadget – _be careful what you wish for because you might just get it_..."

"No," he said quietly, and suddenly the light and warmth that had been present in his eyes had gone, "Leave it alone."

She frowned.

"There's no harm in wanting more...everyone does."

"Not me," he told her, "I know the difference between what I can have and what can never be. Now leave it, drop it."

"But Gadget I was only asking –"

"_I said, drop it."_

She saw a sudden spark of anger in his eyes.

"What have I done? Have I upset you? "

"_I said_ _leave it alone."_ Gadget's jaw tightened as he tried to push away the ache in his heart that had grown deep the minute thoughts had entered his mind, the kind of thoughts he didn't dare to entertain. He pushed it away, and as she made a move to hold him tighter, he pushed her away too, brushing her off as he sat up and turned his back, fixing his gaze on his Gadget suit that was on the floor along with the rest of his clothes.

"I have to go to work."

He got up and left the room.

* * *

Gadget went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, and as the water ran he blinked away tears as that ache refused to let go. He tried to forget the thoughts that had crossed his mind as he held Sylvia in his arms, but it was too late because he had wished for something that could never happen, and he felt sure today was going to be a day when he felt very much aware of all he had lost instead of all he had gained by becoming seventy percent cyborg...

Gadget returned to the bedroom dried off and with his damp hair neatly combed.

He started to get dressed and all the while Sylvia sat there in bed watching him. She had a questioning look in her eyes but after the way he had snapped at her, she had decided to stay silent, because nothing could reduce her to tears faster than Gadget giving her a look that said she had angered him. She was wondering what she had said to make him so upset, but she said nothing.

As Gadget put on his shoes and then slipped on his trench coat, he glanced at her.

She looked hurt and he felt guilty.

"Don't worry about it," he said kindly, "I can get a bit moody sometimes. It's not you; it's just the way I am."

"But I want to know why you're upset, I don't want to upset you, I love you..."

She has spoken softly, almost timidly as he stood over her buttoning up his coat.

He looked down at her and smiled, despite the ache he felt deep inside.

"I love you too," he put on his hat and straightened his tie, "And now I'm going off to do what do best – be Inspector Gadget, the finest cyborg cop in Riverton."

She looked into his eyes, seeing a hint of sadness despite the way he had just smiled and spoken proudly like his work was his life.

"Please tell me," she said gently, "There's something wrong, I can see it in your eyes, Gadget."

And he felt caught out. He had never been able to lie well to those he loved, mainly because he hated lying.

She got out of bed and slid her arms around him.

"Come on, talk to me..."

As she held him, he felt safe, it was a feeling as if nothing could harm him, but he knew he would most certainly break down and cry if he voiced what was on his mind at that moment, because a single thought had just opened a Pandora's box and now he wasn't sure if he had the strength to close the lid on dreams of what might have been...

"Not right now," he said quietly, "I just started thinking about life and how different things could have been if..."

She was looking into his eyes, listening intently – and he could not finish explaining.

"It doesn't matter, it never will."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think about what I can't have, that's why."

Gadget gave her a brief kiss and stepped out of her embrace.

"I have to go to work now."

"But Gadget, I want to know what's on your mind. I'm worried –"

"It's nothing." Gadget forced a smile, "I'll see you tomorrow after work. I love you, honey."

"I love you too."

"I'll call you tonight," he promised, and then he turned away and walked out of the bedroom, along the hallway and quickly left the apartment, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Gadget walked along the corridor with his head bowed, taking deep breaths as he fought to control his emotions.

On leaving the building, he stood outside at a distance from the Gadget Mobile, as he leaned against a wall and put his hand to his face and wiped away tears. He wanted to sob. He wanted to break down and cry in her arms, he wanted to cling to Sylvia and weep until he had no tears left, but this was something he needed to do alone. He continued to fight to control his emotions as he walked slowly towards the Gadget Mobile.

It had been so unexpected, that a single thought could have hit him so hard and so painfully:

He had been holding Sylvia, looking into her eyes after making the kind of love that was so good he felt human once more.

It was easy to forget in moments like that, it was easy to push everything aside and let the very human feelings take over, and they had, fooling him for a brief moment as he forgot about the reality of his seventy percent cyborg body and what that meant.

He shook his head as he blinked away the last of his tears. It was the craziest thing, but as he had held her in his arms, the thought had come to him that he wanted to tell her something from his heart, the thought had been so right and so natural at that moment...

_Yet_ _it was something that could never be. _

_There was no point in him telling her he wanted her to have his babies, because his ability to father children had been lost along with the rest of his human body on the day of the accident, on the day he became seventy percent machine..._

The Gadget Mobile saw no trace of the grief he hid behind a forced smile as he looked down at the face on the screen and started up the engine.

"I see you're back at last!" the Gadget Mobile remarked.

"Yes I am. Let's go to work," Gadget replied, and the car drove away from the apartment block and headed for the Riverton Bridge.

* * *

Brenda stood next to Robo Gadget's bed and glanced at Dr Kramer. He was looking intently at Robo Gadget, while Robo Brenda stood beside him inspecting her newly polished red nails that matched her tight, short dress. She kept her gaze on her manicure and refused to look at the android who was about to be woken from a long, electronically induced coma.

"Ready?" Brenda asked.

Kramer nodded, and pressed some buttons on a box beside the bed, then turned down a switch.

Robo Gadget's body jerked and Kramer gently removed an electrode from his temple.

The android gave a sigh as if waking from a deep sleep, then his dark eyes snapped open and an electronic beep sounded as a monitor confirmed his systems were coming back online to function.

"Robo Gadget?" Kramer said quietly, "Can you see me?"

The android's gaze was fixed on the ceiling. Then he blinked and looked at Kramer. His face showed no trace of expression at first as systems continued to start up. Then he frowned and a confused look clouded his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Robo Gadget asked in a hushed voice as he looked up at Kramer and recalled the day he had attacked him.

Kramer smiled.

"I'm fine, Robo Gadget. And you're _not _in trouble. The cops have dropped the charges. You suffered some damage because of leaking cables when you were put into storage. It caused a lot of problems so we had to partly shut you down until your semi organic repairs had fully taken place. You had severe corrosion damage to your internal workings. Do you understand?"

Robo Gadget was fully activated now, and struggled to sit up, growing more confused as gears ground together beneath his artificial flesh and his legs refused to move.

Brenda hit a button and raised the top of the bed, pushing him into a semi upright position.

"Dr Bradford, "Robo Gadget said, and as he looked at her he smiled, flashing big teeth, "You need to fix my legs, I've got a malfunction."

And Kramer looked at Brenda and spoke quietly.

"_I'll tell him."_

Robo Gadget turned back to him sharply.

"Tell me what?"

Kramer stepped closer to the bed, looking kindly at Robo Gadget.

"When you suffered the corrosion it damaged the cables that control movement to your lower limbs. It can't be fixed. I'm sorry, but your legs won't work any more."

"Not ever?" he said in a voice that was starting to choke up, "You can't _ever _fix me?"

"Taylor Braydon's people are working on ways to minimize your difficulties," Brenda added, "You will have build-ups of corrosion that will cause swelling under your skin that will require removal. Taylor's financing work to try to find a way to minimize that problem for you. But the cable damage is, at this stage in technological development, impossible to replace or repair. It doesn't mean there will never be a cure – it's just not around yet."

Robo Gadget was visibly upset as he thought over all he had learned, but he smiled as he spoke again.

"So I might get better one day."

"That's right," Brenda replied, and as she looked at him she felt surprised that he had taken the news so well.

Robo Gadget smiled at her and his dark eyes sparkled.

"I can't wait to get out of here!"

He glanced at Kramer.

"Are you here to take me home?" he asked hopefully, and Kramer gave a heavy sigh.

"No he's not," Robo Brenda told him, "I haven't forgotten what you did to him when you went out of control! I don't care if you've got some regulator thing inside you to control your crazy moods – you're _still_ crazy as far as I'm concerned!"

A look of deep hurt clouded his eyes and Brenda felt very sorry for him to think her android counterpart had spoken so harshly at the worst possible time. Her words had crushed him.

"So you don't want me back? What about Fifi?"

"She's _got_ her Daddy now," Robo Brenda replied.

"Don't..." Kramer begged her, but she continued:

"You've been gone for six months. Me and Kramer and Fi are a proper family now, _and_ we're happy!"

"But I just want to come home," he said tearfully.

"You don't live with us any more," Robo Brenda replied, "I'm sorry, but that's how things are."

And then she turned away and left the room.

Kramer looked at him apologetically.

"I need to explain everything, Robo Gadget."

The android was tearful.

"So I was wrong before, but now, it's happened...you're _with_ her!"

"And we didn't plan for that, but we have Fifi to think of. She _is_ my daughter, Robo Gadget. And it's better this happened now instead of years down the line. I didn't want to do anything to hurt your feelings and neither did she, but its happened now. It can't be undone. I'm so sorry, and I'm still here for you, in every way –"

"But you _stole_ her from me!"

Kramer gave a sigh.

"And I would _never_ intentionally hurt you. I want to help you get better. I want you to come and live with us, it's Robo Brenda who's so against the idea, she can't forget about what happened! She said she was finished with you after you attacked me, even when I begged her to reconsider."

He blinked, looking at Kramer in surprise.

"You _wanted_ her to take me back?"

Kramer nodded.

"She's the one who wanted you gone, _not _me!"

Robo Gadget fell silent for a moment.

"I guess you did try to do your best for me..."

Kramer grasped his hand tightly.

"And I'm still here for you! I won't abandon you."

The android smiled although his eyes were still tearful.

"So its not all bad, I still have you – and some day my damage will be fixed, then I can get back to normal again."

Brenda smiled too, but she felt sad as she looked at Robo Gadget, who clearly had no understanding of the fact that his damage would most likely last for the rest of his functional life...

* * *

Taylor Braydon was on his way to work.

He drove along the street in his new mint green car, a replacement for the one that had been blown up six months previously.

As he caught sight of the china shop, he smiled.

"I will _never_ give up on my quest!" he announced, pulled over to the side of the road, got out of the car and walked towards the door of the shop.

The bell jangled as he went inside.

As the woman behind the counter caught sight of him, she gave a weary sigh.

"Good morning!" he said brightly, "I've come for your –"

"It's _not_ for sale. I tell you every week and _still _you won't give up!" she exclaimed, "It's my mascot; it's an ornamental decoration in my window display that does _not _have a price tag. It belongs to me. _It's not available for purchase!_"

Taylor took out his wallet.

"Four hundred?" he offered.

She shook her head.

"Five?"

He was still smiling.

She shook her head again.

"Can I interest you in anything _else_ in my window?"

Taylor shook his head sadly, put his wallet away and left the store.

On the way out he paused to look up at the giant china cockerel in the window.

"Some day you'll be mine!" he said, "Don't worry; I'll be back next week!"

And then he got back in his car and drove on to Braydon Industries.

* * *

When Taylor arrived at work he parked his car in the usual reserved parking space, and then looked up at the tall building with pride. The sunlight bounced off the glass windows and he thought about how his company were working on a top secret project, it was so secret that even Inspector Gadget didn't know all the facts yet... The project named Eye of the Storm was six months in now, the machine was completed and after several more months of safety checks, it would be ready for use...

Taylor got out of his car, locked it and began to walk towards the building. After his staff had tightened up security and performed regular searches and remained alert for threats, he no longer felt the need for body guards. He was sure Riverton's own security forces would easily be able to protect him and his business from more terrorist threats. He didn't even get why a group would want to set up to prevent cyborg research and development – in his mind, _everyone_ loved man metal, it was a beautiful thing...

Taylor headed towards the steps that led up to the entrance of the building.

_And then there was a boom and flash and he was thrown to the ground._

He landed painfully on his side but picked himself up quickly, looking up in alarm as smoke billowed out from a hole in the ground floor.

People were running and screaming, some had been hit by debris and were bleeding.

Taylor stood there numbed by shock as he stared at the scene of devastation.

_It was a bomb, another one; this one had been planted in his building, under the noses of his security staff..._

He drew in a frightened breath as he stared at the hole in the wall and the black smoke the billowed out as security evacuated terrified staff.

"_What is going on?"_ he said in a hushed voice as the alarm system began to scream...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"_Gadget, there's been an incident at Braydon industries. Small explosive device took out a chunk of wall and injured eleven staff members."_

"Thanks, I'm on my way," Gadget replied, missing the warmth he was so used hearing in Sanford's voice as came though on the internal wire.

He turned out the rockets and the car shot off in the direction of Braydon Industries, as the it sped along he set aside all thoughts but his role as Riverton's finest detective: _This was the second bombing incident in six months, although the anti technology terrorists had yet to claim a life in their attacks, he had the creeping feeling that the situation would soon escalate unless action was taken now to stamp out this threat..._

On arriving at his destination, the ambulances were leaving and the entrance to the building was being taped off as forensics went in to search for clues.

Taylor Braydon was standing outside the building, he was pale and shaken as he looked towards the hole blown in the side of the wall.

"I can't believe this has happened again! It was supposed to be safe, there was meant to be _no_ threat, I was assured of it!"

"But when it comes to terrorists there are no guarantees."

Taylor turned, his eyes were wide with shock but that look faded a little as he saw Inspector Gadget standing beside him.

"I'm just thankful no one was killed!" Taylor exclaimed.

Quimby had just got out of his squad car and was walking over to join them.

"I'm going in to see what the forensic guys can find," Gadget said, and he nodded to the Chief, then crossed the barrier and stepped into the building.

* * *

Quimby looked at Taylor with a deeply apologetic expression.

"I am so sorry, Taylor. We took every precaution and I know your people did too. We have to lock this place down, I'm talking iron clad security until the Eye of the Storm project is completed. Our people are working with the FBI on this case – we're determined to track down those responsible for these explosions. I'm extending your security cover to the Braydon Free Hospital too – because it's another cybernetics business owned by you and we can't afford to take any chances."

Taylor nodded.

"That's a good idea, Chief."

"So tell me what happened," Quimby said, and took out his note book and pen, ready to take notes of Taylor's account.

Taylor scratched his head.

"Um...well... _there was a bomb_."

And he smiled.

"Hope that helps."

Quimby gave a sigh and shook his head, he wanted to yell at Taylor until his face turned red, but _not_ under these circumstances.

"I just want your account of all that happened this morning," Quimby explained, "Start from your journey to work."

"Okay..." Taylor paused and thought about it, then began to explain:

"It's Emma's day off so I drove to work on my own. On the way I stopped off because I had my heart set on a big cock..."

The Chief's jaw dropped.

_"A what?"_ he said in a hushed voice.

"I've been after it for _six_ months!" Taylor exclaimed, "But I can't even get it for three times its value, I go in every week and ask and get told its not for sale... but I _will _get it one day. I want that cock, I've decided it _will_ be mine..."

Quimby was staring at him.

"I'm not sure I want you to explain more, but what _exactly_ do you mean, Taylor?"

"In the china shop. It's a big one with swirly whirly colors on it. I want to buy it for Emma. _It's better than all the other china animals_."

The Chief breathed a relieved sigh.

"Oh, it's a _china animal! _Thank goodness! So what happened after that?"

"She wouldn't sell it to me. I ask every week on Emma's day off so if I do get to buy it I can surprise her, but I always get turned down. So I drove on to work and got out of the car and there was a boom and the wall blew out."

Quimby nodded.

"I see... so you didn't notice anything suspicious before the explosion?"

Taylor shook his head.

"I'd just got out of my car."

"Okay," Quimby closed his notebook. "That's all, thanks for your help."

Then Taylor's phone rang and he answered it quickly.

"Taylor?" Emma said in a frightened voice, "Please say you're okay! I just heard about the bomb on the news!"

"I'm fine," he promised her, "I'd just got out of my car, I wasn't even in the building...there's a few people with minor injuries but no one got badly hurt..."

And Quimby left Taylor to reassure his wife, and went up the steps to the barrier where Gadget was just leaving the building once more.

"Any luck?" Quimby asked.

Gadget shook his head.

"They're still going over everything, but I was told it looks like a small device was used, it was planted in a position designed to cause least amount of harm to people and maximum damage to the building."

"That figures," Quimby replied, "Stop It Now don't _want_ to maim people – if they start blowing up human beings, those humans will most likely get their damaged bodies repaired with cybernetics – they don't want to create more cyborgs, they want to shut down the market for it altogether."

"I'm wondering if it was an inside job," Gadget added, "Security was so tight, every visitor was checked on entry to the building, it was done on a daily basis..."

A troubled look darkened Quimby's face.

"It would be devastating for Taylor to find out one of his own people could have done this."

"We'll say nothing about that to him, not until we have proof. I'll leave forensics to finish up and then I can download all their findings and see what I can make of the bigger picture."

"Good idea," the Chief replied, and then he turned away and walked back to his squad car.

Gadget looked back at the damaged building. He felt thankful no one had been killed – but he knew next time, the situation could be _far_ worse.

He got back into the Gadget Mobile and drove away, hoping forensics would get back to him soon - because he wanted this case wrapped up fast, before the bombers grew ambitious and careless and lives were lost...

* * *

Gadget drove back home to wait for the message to come through to say the car had received the info from forensics. On the way back Brenda called - and he spoke to her calmly, reassuring her that he had been on the scene, but _not_ when the bomb had gone off. Ever since he had become Riverton's crime fighting hero, despite her faith in his gadgets, she always worried about his safety.

She did that because she loved him, it was another reminder of how much she didn't deserve a cheating husband...

Gadget had thought long and hard about the past and could find no fault, no chips or cracks in their relationship, nothing he could blame for his affair with Sylvia Rush.

_Brenda had been a perfect wife. _And knowing that made his guilt weigh heavy and sometimes kept him awake at night, but it was too late to back out. What was done could not be undone – he had loved another woman and cheated with her and was still doing so and had no intention of stopping, even though he felt as if to love another, to cheat on his wife in the name of what he called love, seemed like a weak excuse.

But as the beach house came into sight, he saw home and thought about how his heart had ached for another family. He loved Brenda and he cherished Megan, but he had always wanted to have more kids, he had wanted at least three. That ambition had been snatched away after the accident had pulverized more than half his body. But his human heart was aching now, it was longing for what might have been.

He didn't doubt that if he had never been a cyborg, he would have left Brenda for Sylvia and got her pregnant by now, most likely it would not have been a mutual decision, he would have arranged a little accident to happen, just to ensure she had his baby and forgot about her plans to go off to med school where she could possibly forget all about him...

It wasn't just about wanting to keep her with him, even though he fully acknowledged his own selfishness – he loved her _and_ he wanted to be a father again. The fact that it was impossible was tearing at his heart, serving as a reminder that being the great Inspector Gadget wasn't everything. The man attached to the machine parts was very much alive and thought and felt like any other man:

_He was in love. _

_He wanted more._

_He wanted more and he couldn't have it..._

Gadget went into the house and found Megan in the hallway on the phone to a friend.

As she smiled and said _Hi Dad_, he paused to give her a brief hug, and then let her get on with her conversation.

He took off his coat and hat, hung them up and went through to the kitchen. The back door was open and as he looked through to the garden, he saw Felix sitting alone on a bench in the middle of the lawn enjoying a cold beer.

He went outside to join him, but his thoughts were still on Sylvia and all the things he knew he could never have...

* * *

As Gadget sat down Felix swigged from his beer bottle and offered some to him, but Gadget shook his head, feeling sure that beer would only make him feel more depressed.

"I heard about the bomb on the radio," Felix told him, "I hope no one we know got hurt."

"Taylor was out of the building. Emma was at home and Dr Kramer was over at the cybernetics center. Eleven members of staff got minor injuries. I'm still waiting for forensics to get back to me on their findings."

"It shocked me," Felix admitted, "I never thought a bunch of lunatics would target Braydon Industries."

And Gadget thought about his remark.

"Me neither," he replied, "I think I'll have to ask more about this secret project Taylor's financing. I respect the fact that these things have to be kept under wraps, but now its attracting a dangerous group like SIN I need to know all the facts."

Then Gadget fell silent for a moment as his thoughts wandered far from work and settled on matters that were firmly stuck in his heart, and felt like they were stuck there with pins.

Felix waved a hand in front of his face and Gadget blinked.

"You look a thousand miles away, what's on your mind Gadget?"

He turned and looked at Felix.

"A lot of things...can I ask you something?"

Felix swigged from the bottle and shrugged.

"Go for it."

"How do you feel when you look at Megan and know that she loves you? I'm not asking because I'm her Dad, I'm just asking what your point of view is, how it feels, you know...to be in love."

The sunlight caught on the silver eye patch bolted to his face as he looked at him in surprise.

He ran his fingers through dark hair, brushing his fringe off his covered eye, and thought about it, then answered truthfully:

"In all honesty, when I look at myself in the mirror, I see a wreck of a guy, a shadow of the man I used to be. My eye's gone, I've lost a lot of weight, I know I look rough for my age, plus I've got memory problems and all the rest of it because half my brain's put together with wiring that went wrong... and then I look at Megan and I know she loves me. She doesn't see _me_ the way _I_ do. What I see as broken she sees as rugged. She thinks I'm hot. She makes me feel like the sexiest man alive, and I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful she loves me so much."

"I know what you mean; I feel the same about the lady in my life. I love her so much I'm half afraid of losing her sometimes."

Felix laughed.

"After twenty years I don't think Brenda's going anywhere, Gadget! Now enough of this sentimental bullshi –"

"_No, I meant -" _

Gadget stopped speaking as a flicker of panic ran through him and he realized he had almost explained that he _wasn't_ talking about his wife...

Felix looked at him intently.

"What? _W_hat _did_ you mean?"

Gadget struggled for an answer but found none that would have been acceptable.

Then Felix got up.

"You need a beer. Too much thinking and not enough beer is bad for a man."

"I'm okay, thanks..."

"No you're not!"

Felix went back into the kitchen, came out with a beer and bit the cap, took it off and handed the bottle to Gadget.

"Get that down you and forget about life and love and feelings and all that stuff – I propose a toast..."

Felix raised the bottle and so did Gadget.

"A toast to what?" he wondered.

Felix smiled.

_"To pussy!"_ he announced, then clinked bottles with him and took another swig as Gadget sat there laughing as he shook his head; Felix was the last person who he had expected to lift him out of his misery, but he had certainly succeeded in making him smile.

Gadget drank down some of his own beer and then looked back at Felix.

"Do you think one day you'll want to have kids with Megan?"

Felix smiled nervously.

"I love her Gadget, I want to spend forever with her – but just thinking about marriage makes me itch like I've got hives! I don't know. Maybe one day. Right now I just want to enjoy life and be happy with her. That's enough for me."

"She might want a family one day."

"I know that. But not for a while – she's a lot younger than me, and in my mind, I'm still nineteen too!"

Gadget chuckled.

"That explains a lot!"

Felix set the bottle down on the table and looked intently at Gadget.

"There's no rush for anything. And you're a heavily modified cyborg. You age slowly. You'll still be around if we do have kids some day."

Suddenly it seemed easier to open up to him. Felix Todd was not the worlds most sensitive man, but at that moment, Gadget felt able to talk and share a little of what was weighing him down.

"My biggest regret is that I never had more kids after Megan. Me and Brenda had Penny too, I was already bringing her up when we first met – but I wanted more children, Felix. I wanted at least a couple more."

"So how come you didn't do it?" he asked.

"The accident," Gadget reminded him, and then Felix looked at him apologetically.

"Sorry, I forgot. My stupid electronic brain must've crapped out for a minute there...I know about that, you told me..." And he shook his head, "I've always thought you must have a lot of guts to get on with life like you do. If I woke up with everything missing I think I'd shoot myself!"

Gadget shrugged off his remark.

"I adapted to my new body. I accepted it a long time ago. But recently I started thinking how much I wished I'd had more kids. I feel like I've lost out even though those kids were never born because it wasn't possible after the accident. I don't know if that makes sense."

Felix nodded.

"I get it. You wish you'd had a brother and a sister for Megan, you think you could have had so much more."

"I do, you're right..."

Felix shook his head.

"Don't bet on it. My cousin April had one son from her first marriage. She met this new guy two years after her husband passed away, and then suddenly she was desperate for more kids. She had two more sons. Pair of bastards just like their father – one's in jail now and the other one's dead from drugs. She's still got the eldest son. He's doing okay. Nice job, family of his own... she should have stuck to just the one kid. Sometimes it's not a good idea to fix what isn't broken, you never know how the change of plan might turn out."

Gadget thought back to his use of the time machine, and how he was constantly reminded of the altered past, and everything Felix had just told him sent a chill down his spine.

"Maybe it's not always a good idea to change destiny."

"I don't go with the destiny crap. I just say, why screw around with life? Leave it as it is; don't poke it with a stick in case it bites you on the ass."

"You don't think I should regret anything?" Gadget wondered.

"You've got Brenda. And together you made the most wonderful woman in the world - I know I'm right about that, because I'm the guy she fell in love with! She _must_ be wonderful, she puts up with me!"

And as he smiled his eyes lit up and Gadget smiled too, feeling a rush of affection for Felix. He thought back to how he had been shocked on first learning of his relationship with Megan – but that had been in the beginning. Felix was a nice guy; he just needed to take the time to get to know him to find that out...

* * *

Later in the evening, the sunset was amber streaked with pink as dark rain clouds spotted it deep and heavy like ink had spattered a canvas.

Brenda had returned home from work and they had shared dinner as a family, then Gadget had gone outside to check with the Gadget Mobile, only to be told the report had not yet come through from forensics.

He had walked down the path that led to the beach and stood there alone, watching the sun set as the waves washed gently on to sand and were then pulled back again by the shift of the tide. It was a peaceful moment and after the talk he had shared with Felix, he finally felt as if he had space in his mind to arrange his thoughts.

He still felt an ache in his heart as he allowed himself a moment to dream about walking along this beach with Sylvia, while their child splashed about at the water's edge, laughed and then called him Daddy. He pictured lifting his child into his arms, and then his arms ached and felt empty and he snapped out of the daydream and took a deep breath, reminding himself that Felix was right – there was no point in longing for what he couldn't have...

Then he took his cell phone from his pocket and called Sylvia's number.

As she answered he smiled and felt a glow deep in his heart. A moment ago pain and emptiness had dwelt there, but on hearing her voice it had melted away, replaced with love and longing that felt bittersweet.

"Hi," he said, "I can't stop long – I said I was going out to check on some data that's being sent through to the Gadget Mobile. _I just wanted to say I love you. The sun set is beautiful, I'm on the beach and I wish I had you next to me to enjoy it._"

"I can see it from my window," she replied, "Same sky, Gadget. The distance doesn't matter – you're inside my heart."

"That's where I want to stay," he replied softly, "I wish things could be different. I'd spend every moment with you if I could."

"Maybe some day we _will_ be together," she said, "But I'm happy, I know I'll see you again soon. Can you come over tomorrow?"

Gadget gave a sigh. The waves were still rolling to shore and the sunset looked beautiful despite the clouds - but suddenly the view had lost its glow.

"I'm sorry, honey but I can't. I have to get back to work on the bombing. Forensics should have something for me by then and I can't put this case down. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"I know you will. I love you."

"Love you too, I have to go now."

Gadget ended the call, put his phone in his pocket and then walked slowly back towards the house as the sun sank lower in the sky.

* * *

Sanford Scolex had gone to bed early.

As Penny opened the bedroom door there was a blur of soft fur as Mad Cat darted out of the room, and then she went in and shut the door quietly because SJ had just settled down to sleep for the night.

She walked over to the bed and looked fondly at her husband, who was on his side in a silk dressing gown, his eyes closed as he breathed easily as the sunset threw a glow of amber blushing into red across the bedroom.

His cybernetic pincer was at his side and his human hand was draped across the pillow. It seemed even in sleep he wanted no contact with the pincer that reminded him of how life could have turned out if not for the time machine...

Penny sat down beside him and gently ran her hand over his hair.

Sanford stirred and she leaned in and gently kissed him.

"I love you, Sanford Scolex," she said quietly, "I love all of you, even the pincer."

And he opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"_I heard that."_

She smiled.

"Slide over, fat boy."

Sanford shifted over as she settled down beside him. Penny turned on her side and gently pulled at the tie on his dressing gown and as it fell open, he closed his eyes and frowned.

"No...I'm tired. "

_"Brenda told me your cybernetic hand has been ready for a month now. Why don't you go and have it fitted?"_

He opened his eyes again and looked up at her.

"When did she tell you this?"

"Yesterday, I called the cybernetic center and asked her why you haven't been called in to have the fitting and she said the hand was ready."

A flicker of guilt showed in his eyes as he made a confession.

"I hate the pincer, you know that. But I've been through enough pain having the damned thing fitted. The hand would be considerably more work. _So I decided to stay as I am._"

Penny stared at him.

"You mean you're _keeping_ the claw?"

Sanford glanced down at the pincer attached to his wrist.

"Its better than going through more pain. I already feel as if I'm constantly in pain when I think of Riley. He's semi conscious, he's not even talking yet. What if it's gone wrong and he's not the son I used to know any more?"

"No, he will be okay," Penny assured him, "My Uncle Gadget was like that for months after his cybernetic conversion. He woke up gradually. They had to be careful; it's the same with Riley."

Sanford took in a sharp breath and blinked away tears that stung at his blue eyes.

"I wish I could let go of what happened, put my arms around Gadget and tell him its all forgiven. I want to, but then I think of my son and its too difficult. I don't hate him, Penny. He was my closest friend. Always will be, but something has changed for me."

"I know," she replied sadly, "But in time, when Riley starts to recover, everything will seem better."

Sanford placed his hand on her hip and looked into her eyes.

"_I want to hold you. But I don't want the pincer to touch you."_

Penny gave a sigh.

"Stop it, fat boy. Give me that claw."

And she gently lifted his pincer and raised it to her lips, planting a gentle kiss on the cold steel. She spoke again as she looked at it thoughtfully and her eyes reflected in the polished metal.

"It's just a cybernetic attachment, and you _didn't_ get your own hand crushed blowing up my Uncle's car. Not in this lifetime – you got it crushed trying to save your son's life. _You wasn't being a bad guy, you're a hero_."

Her words had been enough to banish his doubts.

Sanford drew her into his arms slowly, aware of the steel pincer as he embraced her. Then as her lips gently touched his, he lost himself in a soft kiss that quickly deepened, and thoughts of the pincer were forgotten as Penny's gentle persuasion reminded him why he loved her so very much, and then he held her tighter and made love without giving the claw another thought.

* * *

Gadget woke up as Brenda's alarm beeped.

She shifted closer to him and as he opened his eyes, he felt such love for her but so much regret, too. He wanted to confess and apologize but remained silent because the situation could be no other way, not if he wanted to live out the rest of his life _without_ a broken heart...

Brenda ran her hand down his body, then stopped just above the cluster of wires.

"I wish you'd put that plate back on. You look whole; you look like a perfectly designed cyborg with the plate and the sensors."

Gadget looked into her eyes and reached up and ran his hand over her long hair.

"And without it I'm still the man you married," he reminded her, "I'm the same guy but I feel _so_ much more human to keep the plate off. I'm sorry if it turns you off but I _like_ it this way. _I'm not going back_."

Brenda gave a sigh of frustration and turned on her back. By the look in her eyes he knew it was not an invitation to get intimate.

She glanced at the clock.

"I'd better get up."

As she left their bed, he pushed the covers off and looked down at his flesh and machine body, then recalled how different it felt to be with Sylvia, who kissed him all over and didn't care that the scars and the wiring were visible, she didn't even mind about cybernetic fluid leaking from his body... he missed her sharply as Brenda went into the bathroom and switched on the shower and he turned over, running his hand down the space beside him. _He wished he had woken next to Sylvia. He wished he could call her and tell her he missed her, but to make a call now would be too risky._

He turned his thoughts back to work.

As the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Gadget thought about the project that Taylor's company had kept under wraps:

He knew it was time to start asking questions, because he didn't even know what they were building over at Braydon Industries, and it had to be something big to attract such a threat. He knew both Chief Quimby and Mayor Wilson would not welcome his prying into top secret research, but if he was to solve the case, he had no other choice...

* * *

By nine am Gadget was in Quimby's office.

He had been in the room for less than a minute, asked one question and the Chief had looked at him, that look had become a glare and then his face had turned crimson.

"_NO!"_ he yelled, _"Absolutely not, Gadget! I can't have you learning about Eye of the Storm. It's top secret. "_

And then he drew in a slow breath, using every effort to pull back on his temper as he tried to assemble his thoughts into some kind of order that could produce an acceptable explanation, but as he met with Gadget's questioning expression, he shook his head and offered a few words that he hoped his long time colleague would be able to understand:

"I can't tell you more without clearance from Mayor Wilson. You'll know all the facts soon enough when the project's ready. The machine is already assembled. Taylor Braydon's dragging his heels over health and safety and at this rate it won't be up for experimental testing for another six months. The investors are getting impatient. There's a lot at stake."

And then he fell silent.

"What's at stake?" Gadget asked, "I need to know what this is about if I'm going to solve the case! I need to understand _exactly_ what these anti technology people are getting so paranoid about!"

Quimby looked down at his desk. He gathered his thoughts again, then looked up at Gadget.

"It's partly government funded. A large chunk of the backing is coming from Braydon Industries, Taylor wanted to get on board to keep it local, and to ensure that other associated investments are kept secure. I'll call Mayor Wilson and explain and see if she will agree to you meeting with Taylor to discuss it. _And that's all for now._"

"But sir, I need to know –"

Quimby shot him another look that rapidly bordered on irate.

"I said, that's _all_ for now. I'll call you, Inspector."

Gadget rose from his seat.

"Thank you, sir," he said quietly, and then left the office, still no closer to understanding exactly what the Eye of the Storm project was about...

* * *

As Gadget got back into his car, the face on the screen looked up at him hopefully.

"I heard from forensics. There's not much to go on, but here it is..."

And the screen switched to the report on the explosive device planted at Braydon Industries.

He studied it and gave a sigh, there was nothing to point a lead in any direction. It had been a small explosive device, the maker was unknown, because no prints or DNA had been found and the CCTV footage was yet to be studied closely.

He turned the report off and the Gadget Mobile spoke up again.

"So what's next, Gadget? Did Quimby give you the info you was after on the secret project?"

"No," Gadget replied as he made a decision and guessed he would have to deal with the consequences later, "He hardly said a word. He told me he has to wait for the ok from Mayor Wilson. I can see her denying me access. So I'm going back to Braydon Industries to speak to Taylor."

"Are you sure you should go against orders?"

Gadget glanced down at the screen again.

"Two explosive devices have been planted in the last six months and now eleven people are injured. I'd say that's reason enough to justify going against the book."

"I guess it is," the car agreed, and the engine fired up and the Gadget Mobile drove away from police headquarters.

* * *

Gadget stayed silent on the journey over to Braydon Industries.

He was deep in thought, turning over all the years he had been Gadget the Inspector, and was sure there had never been a time when he had been denied access to any subject during the course of many police investigations. It seemed crazy to think there was a machine being built in one of Taylor's labs and he was forbidden to know anything about it. He was starting to wonder what the big secret was, thinking back to the conversation with Quimby, the Chief had seemed almost afraid to say too much, and that concerned him deeply, because it had to be something _very_ big if Quimby and the Mayor were closing ranks over it...

When Gadget reached his destination he wasted no time, going straight into Braydon Industries, flashing his ID at security, and then taking the elevator to the top floor.

As the doors opened and he stepped out he felt glad that being Inspector Gadget carried such advantages as being instantly recognized; security was very tight, with guards and cops all over the building, but they didn't get in his way as he walked towards Taylor's office.

As he opened the door and went inside, Emma looked up from her desk in surprise.

"Inspector Gadget? I didn't know you had an appointment to see Taylor? He's already given his statement to Chief Quimby..."

And as Gadget looked at Emma, his suspicions grew.

"Since when did I ever need to make an appointment to speak to Taylor?"

She ran her fingers through her fair hair and hesitated, trying to think of a tactful reply.

"I'm sure you're aware he's financing a top secret project. He's been asked not to disclose information about it until the machine is ready."

Gadget lowered his voice.

"Of course I know that. And it _is_ why I'm here. I can't solve this case unless I know all the facts. Quimby won't tell me anything and he says he's waiting on clearance from Mayor Wilson – but if he has to do that I'll be waiting a _very_ long time. By then there could be another explosion – if there is a next time, it could be much worse, people could die. I'm asking him to do this off the record."

Emma hesitated, and then she slowly nodded.

"We would both be happier if you knew everything. Taylor's been saying for a while that you should have informed about the project by now."

"Since the car bomb?"

"No," she replied in a hushed voice, "Since the other investors have been putting pressure on to get the project up and running. I shouldn't say any more – it's better if Taylor explains."

And then she went over to the door of his office and opened it.

Taylor looked up from his computer.

"Emma – what's Gadget doing here?"

_"Just talk to him,"_ she said, _"No one has to know, Taylor. Tell him everything."_

Gadget caught a flicker of apprehension in his eyes, but then Taylor nodded.

"I think you'd better come in and sit down, Gadget," he said quietly.

Emma closed the door and left the two of them to talk privately.

* * *

As Gadget took a seat and looked across the desk, he noticed at once that Taylor Braydon was not his usual cheerful self. He had a haunted look in his eyes and he knew instantly it was not just because of the bombing incidents.

"What's going on?" he asked, "You know you can tell me anything – it's just between us."

Taylor's eyes were wide as he looked back at him nervously.

"I'm not supposed to tell you yet..."

"What's that supposed to mean? Either you can tell me, or you can't!"

Taylor gave a heavy sigh.

"Gadget, it's complicated."

On hearing those words he thought briefly of his own private life.

"A _lot_ of things in this world are complicated, Taylor. But telling _me_ the truth shouldn't be one of them. We've been friends for a long time. Just level with me, I can't help if you won't tell me what the Eye of the Storm project is about."

Taylor drew in a deep breath, and then began to explain:

"It's a big project, a machine designed to send the user into a three dimensional world where crisis scenarios can be played out – everything from bank robberies to terrorist attacks to natural disasters. It's purpose is to train the user to be ready for every eventuality. And it took six months to build and the running of the machine is still unstable. I have a lot of pressure on me from higher up in authority and from other investors to get this thing working, to prove it's worth the cash that's been sunk into it. But I can't agree to begin its use on an experimental basis until I'm sure it's one hundred percent safe for the user. That's why agreed to have it built here, and why I put so much of my own money into it – that way, I get a say on the safety standards. I can pull the plug if I have to – I won't risk anybody's life, Gadget, especially not..."

Then Taylor fell silent.

Gadget saw it again, a flicker of panic in his eyes. He had known Taylor long enough to know that could mean only one thing – he was afraid he had just said too much...

"_Whose_ life won't you risk, Taylor?" he asked.

Taylor blinked nervously, and replied in a hushed voice.

"_Yours,"_ he said, _"The Eye of the Storm is intended to take your skills to the next level. The machine was built for you, Gadget..."_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Gadget looked at Taylor in stunned silence.

"It's the next step in the Gadget Program," Taylor added, "When the time comes to test it out, you will _have_ to agree to do it - or the whole project will be cut off. That means you out of a job and no more funding for development or repairs, and that could be difficult for you, as you are a prototype and no other cyborg is built in the same way as you."

Gadget drew in a slow breath. The room seemed to spin for a moment as the shock hit him. He suddenly felt sharply and painfully reminded of the day he had woken up in a part machine body, and wondered how and why this had happened _without_ his consent...

_"I have no say in this?"_ he asked as anger darkened his eyes.

Taylor shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but you don't. But at least with me in control of the development I can slow this project down to make sure you stay safe. Once we know the machine's risk free, there's no problem. But I'm having a lot of trouble from the other investors. I've been told they want results now, not in six months. If I cave in to those demands, that puts _you_ at risk. And if I don't, it could mean many powerful associates cut ties with me and potentially that could spell big trouble for my business worldwide. I can close the project down if I think there's a risk that can't be minimized, but it would take another six months to prove that. So I just don't know where I stand right now."

Gadget's anger faded away as he looked across the desk at Taylor.

"You took the responsibility of this project on your shoulders just so you could try and keep me safe?"

Taylor shrugged.

"That's what friends are for."

"And it could cost you everything?"

"Well, it could cost me the business. But I'd still have enough cash to get by easily. And I could help fund your repairs and stuff if it came to it."

Gadget smiled fondly at Taylor.

"You're a good friend," he told him, "But I can't let you lose everything for me. Just keep your people working on the safety aspect of it – when the time comes, I'll try out the machine. I don't like the idea of it, but it looks like there's too much at stake to refuse."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this before."

Gadget shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. I was turned into a cyborg without my knowledge. No one ever asked for my consent before I was selected for the Gadget Project, why should I be asked to consent now, when it comes to taking it to the next level?"

"You don't mind?"

Sadness reflected in Gadget's eyes.

"Of course I do. I want to say no, but I can see what kind of situation that could bring about. I like to look out for others too; it's not just about me."

Taylor looked at him with a worried expression.

"Gadget, Are you _sure_ you're okay about this? Because I'm pushing on the safety aspects but if the investors start getting heavy, they might demand it's tested a lot sooner. I don't want you to put yourself in danger."

Taylor had spoken from his heart. Gadget knew him well enough to know Taylor didn't want to put anyone at risk, least of all an old friend.

He forced a smile even though he inwardly felt a sense of terror and a certain degree of anger at the thought that yet again, he was being used for the Gadget project, and although his consent was at least expected in the matter, his refusal didn't seem to be an option...

"Thanks for telling me everything," he said, "Now I'm going to get on with the case regarding the bomber. I want you to send me over a complete list of all your employees; I'm looking for people who have recently joined your company."

Taylor stared at him.

" You think one of _my_ people could have done this? There's no way, they're all dedicated to cybernetics!"

"I'm sure they are," Gadget told him, "This is just an area I have to cover during the course of the investigation. Don't worry about it, we probably won't turn up anything so close to home."

"I'll ask Emma to do that for you," he said as they both stood up, "And again I'm sorry you had to find out about the project like this...I mean how it's involving _you_..."

And he fell silent and looked at him sadly.

Gadget nodded.

"That's okay, Taylor. I appreciate your honesty."

Then Gadget left the office, staying silent about his concerns as he thought over all he had learned. He guessed in time he would become more worried about the safety aspect – but at that moment as he walked away, all he could think about was the fact that once again his consent meant little or nothing in the matter...

* * *

Sanford Scolex walked out of the police headquarters and hurried over to his car.

Once inside he closed the door, and as it shut he took in a heavy breath, thankful that being alone in the car served as some kind of barrier between him and the rest of the world.

_He had just received a call to say Riley was fully conscious._

Quimby had been only too happy to let him leave work to see his son, but now as he sat in the car thinking of Riley as he remembered him, and then Riley as he was now, a heavily modified cyborg, he felt afraid to start up the car and go over to the cybernetics center.

He wanted to call Gadget, but Gadget was working on the bombing case. Then he thought about the long months they had barely said a word – all his own doing, because he could not forgive him for not being there on the day Riley fell from the bridge...

He knew he needed his support.

Sanford drew his phone from his pocket and looked at it.

_"No,"_ he whispered, _"I can't call him..."_

Then he called Penny instead.

She picked up the call quickly, and before she could speak he explained everything:

_"Riley's awake. He's back with us at last and I'm on my way to see him."_

"Want me to come with you?"

Sanford blinked away tears.

"No," he told her softly, "You stay home with SJ. I need to see my son right away – I don't know how he will be, I don't know what the cybernetic treatment may have done to him but -"

"He's _still _your son," she reminded him, "And he needs you more than ever, Sanford."

"_I know that, but I feel so scared, Penny!"_

As he spoke the words he had struggled in vain to hold back, the warmth and understanding in her voice went straight to his heart and lent him strength as sure as if she had been sitting beside him.

"Just go and see him," she said, "And if it gets too much, call me back and I'll come over to the cybernetics center. What ever you face in life, I'm with you. Don't forget that."

"I know," he replied, "And I will call you soon."

Then he ended the call.

He still didn't want to start up the car, but he turned the key and the engine fired up and then he drove off, still feeling afraid that Riley would not be the son he remembered.

* * *

Brenda had felt concerned as she spoke with the patient who had been drifting in and out of awareness for so long; Riley Scolex was finally awake and on hearing the extent of his cybernetic repairs, he had looked at her with a shocked expression. Then he had fallen silent, before finally saying something that made no sense:

"_At least I still have Megan."_

Then he had fallen silent again, fixing a cold gaze on the wall.

"My _daughter_ Megan?" she asked him.

Riley turned his head. A thin metal pipe that snaked up his neck caught the light as he moved.

_"She said if I agreed to the cybernetic treatment she would come back to me. Didn't she tell you?"_

Brenda frowned. She recalled Megan laughing and giggling as she embraced Felix and how she had looked into his eyes – that had only been this morning, Megan adored Felix, they were happy together...

She looked back at Riley. She knew he was emotionally vulnerable because of all he had been through, and that it would take a long while for him to come to terms with the cybernetic modifications that he loathed so much and was now forced to live with, so she chose her words carefully:

"Megan hasn't said anything to me at all. As far as I know she's very happy with Felix Todd. Are you _certain_ she said that to you?"

There was not a flicker of doubt or hesitation in his voice as he replied to her question.

"She promised me, she said we would get back together. That's why I had the cybernetic work done. That's the _only _reason. Do you _seriously_ think I'd let myself get stuck with a half human freak show of a body unless I had a damned good reason to carry on living inside it?"

Brenda felt stunned by all he had told her, but refused to let him see that she felt it as something of a shock wave; she didn't doubt there was a strong possibility that her pro-cybernetics daughter could have made him a false promise purely to save his life – but if she had done that, she knew for certain she would be having some very strong words with her when she got home that evening. She clung to the hope that Riley, in his weakened state, may have misunderstood.

"You were very sick, very weak and confused when Megan visited you. It's possible you got it wrong, Riley. She loves Felix, she's got no intention of leaving him for you or anyone else."

Riley's eyes widened.

As he stared at her, she saw a glimpse of something between desperation and madness as he took in a shaken breath.

"_She promised me!"_ he yelled tearfully.

Then the door opened and Sanford walked in.

He saw Riley wide awake and tearful as he glared angrily at Brenda.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

Before Brenda could explain, Riley spoke up again.

"Her daughter," he said, pointing accusingly at Brenda as partial metal work gleamed on his exposed arm, "Megan lied to me! She said she'd come back if I had the cybernetic work done. She _lied_, Dad! _She lied...I don't want to live like this!_"

And he gave a sob.

As Sanford hurried over to his bedside, Riley looked down at the plate that covered half his lower arm, and then he turned it over and dug fingertips beneath it, trying to pry off the seal.

"I don't _want_ it inside me!" he shouted, _"Get it off me!"_

Sanford put his arms around him, holding his son tightly as he wept.

"Stop it, Riley," he said in a low voice as he tried to contain his anger, "It's all right – I'm here now..."

And he shot Brenda a glance, it was one filled with ice and she simply nodded and left the room, knowing he needed to be alone with his son.

Sanford cradled Riley in his arms as he continued to weep.

"Everything will be all right," he whispered, "You're still my son..."

And as he held him, anger darkened his eyes as he thought of the way Gadget's daughter had manipulated Riley. She had lied and now he was stuck in a cyborg body he detested, and she was still happy, moving on and living her life with Felix Todd. She didn't care about Riley at all...

A single thought ran through his mind and it refused to go away:

_This was another reason to blame Gadget for everything..._

* * *

The sun was sinking low in the sky when the Gadget Mobile arrived home.

Gadget got out of the car and the strengthening breeze whipped at his open trench coat as he made his way up to the porch.

He unlocked the door and paused, gathering his thoughts:

Brenda was in charge of the scientific side of the Gadget Project. _She had always been in charge._ She had to know _something_ about the Eye of the Storm, he didn't see how it could have been kept so secret that she wouldn't have been given any information...

It was a thought he had been turning over and over all day since leaving Braydon Industries. It had haunted him all day long, to think that his own wife could have been part of what was starting to feel like a conspiracy of silence. He wanted to be wrong, but as he hung up his coat and hat in the hallway and Brenda hurried down the stairs and spoke his name, he turned his head and looked at her and wondered if he really knew her at all.

"Gadget, you need to listen to this," she began, "Megan lied to Riley to persuade him to have the cybernetic treatment! Can you believe _our_ daughter would do such a thing?"

Gadget shrugged.

"_I think of worse lies,"_ he said as his voice darkened.

And Brenda froze. She stared at him as her jaw dropped.

He walked over to her and looked into her eyes. The two of them stood in the middle of the hallway and for a moment, neither said a word. That look was still in her eyes as she began to speak again:

"Gadget... I don't know how you find out, but I _can_ explain! Just let me tell you the reasons why..."

He had never his wife looking so shocked before, nor so desperate to explain. He fell silent and listened intently.

_And nothing Brenda said made any sense. _

_It was certainly nothing to do with the new project over at Braydon Industries..._

"I was following guidelines," she stammered, "It...It was what I had to do, it had _nothing_ to do with me taking so much credit for designing the prototype... I just took the situation as it was, I wanted to further my career. And we've been happy, we still are! And it's too late to regret those choices now."

Gadget's voice was low.

"What choices, Brenda?"

And as she looked at him a flicker of panic showed in her eyes.

_"I was heading the Gadget Project! And Megan was a baby and Penny was a teenager! On top of all that I had you to look after while you adjusted to your cyborg body. It took you several years to truly learn to cope. It was a lot to handle and I wanted to hold on to my career, I didn't want to lose everything I'd built up!"_

She had spoken a little too defensively.

Gadget frowned.

"I'm sorry, Brenda – I don't quite understand. Is this some kind of speech to remind me how hard you worked for us all in the beginning, how devoted you are to our family? Because I already know that. I just want to know how you could have kept such a big secret from me, I need to know why!"

It shocked him to see tears in her eyes. Gadget was a gentleman and proud of it – he had never as much as raised his voice during their marriage, let alone his fist, but seeing the look in her tearful eyes - along with a mix of fear and regret - was confusing.

"I'm just trying to explain my reasons for saying nothing," she said tearfully, "I know it was wrong and I am _so_ sorry, please forgive me I love you, I _never _want to lose you!"

Gadget's eyes widened.

"_Lose_ me? Over this? No honey you won't lose me. But I am hurt that you didn't tell me about the Eye of the Storm. I had a right to know from the beginning!"

And she blinked, then stared at him and seemed utterly confused.

"The project over at Braydon Industries?"

The surprise in her voice deepened his own confusion.

"Yes, what _else_ would I be talking about?"

And he thought he saw it again, a brief flash of panic in her eyes, but then she started to talk once more.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't know if it would ever get the green light. It's full of safety issues. I never even thought the machine would get built. I know Taylor's had pressure on him to test it sooner than scheduled, but he won't let that happen if he's not happy with the safety standards. I didn't want you to worry over something that might never come about."

"_So you did know. And you decided to say nothing to me."_

She blinked away more tears.

"_Sorry."_

Gadget nodded, then he stepped back from her, still feeling anger - and a great deal of confusion as he noticed there was a look in her eyes that no seasoned detective could fail to miss:

_Guilt still lingered..._

"Is there anything else I don't know?"

She shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

"_Yes." _

Her voice was hushed and she had looked away as she had spoken.

She _still_ wouldn't look at him.

Gadget gently took hold of her face and turned it to him, even then her eyes met with his own with a great deal of reluctance.

There was a feeling of unease building up in his human-cyborg body as he looked at the woman he had spent so many years with, who he had raised two children with, who he thought he knew...because now, he had serious doubts about knowing her as well as he had once believed...

"Are you absolutely sure there's nothing _else_ I don't know? Because if there is, now is the time to tell me. And then we'll close the door on the subject. Just be honest with me. If you can't do that we have nothing left."

"_There are no more secrets,"_ she said in a hushed voice.

Gadget felt reminded him of all the times when he had interrogated suspects who were desperately covering up facts. It scared him to think that Brenda could be holding something back, and as he thought about all she had said about the past, it made him feel uneasy. But as she put her arms around him and clung to him, he kept his suspicions silent.

"Please say we can let this go, I love you so much," Brenda said as she gave a sob, "Gadget I've loved you since the day we met, and I'm proud of you, of course I am – but the Gadget project isn't everything to me, _you_ are everything to me!"

Gadget held her tighter as she sobbed again, his embrace reassured Brenda that all was forgiven, but all she had said had left him feeling suspicious. There _was _something else, and she was too afraid to admit it. He knew he would uncover it eventually because he was a good detective and because he believed in honesty. But his need to know the truth also terrified him – because he had a feeling that when he did find out exactly what she was hiding, it could drive them apart. It was too late to pretend the conversation had never happened - he knew she was hiding something, and now he knew, he _had _to uncover it, no matter what the cost...

* * *

It was dusk by the time the door closed loudly. Felix shut out the sharp night air and turned back to Megan and kissed her.

"I'm so lucky to have you," he said as he embraced her "I mean that."

And Megan's eyes lit up as she smiled.

"At last...something romantic from the most unromantic guy I've ever known!"

"I can be romantic!" Felix insisted, "I got you a lovely gift for Valentines Day..."

And Megan shook her head.

"You call _that_ romantic?"

"It was a very nice microwave oven, honey!"

Megan smiled again.

"At least you're making up for it now, saying you're lucky to have me"

Felix focused his good eye on her as the other reflected silver from the eye patch bolted to his face.

"I _am _lucky. Most guys my age, in my condition, would have to _pay_ to go out with a girl like you –"

"That's not exactly romantic, Felix..."

"I was just being _nice_ – "

"No that's not nice, you called me a hooker."

"No Megan I mean you're prettier than girls who work for escort agencies. I ought to know, I tried them a few times in the past...never met anyone like you – and they charged _much_ more than a regular hooker –"

Her smiled faded.

"Don't be gross. And that reminds me, I you need a bath. You stink like you forgot your deodorant again."

Felix laughed softly.

"I probably did, but you wasn't complaining when we were on the beach rolling about in the sand!"

"_Megan, I need a word with you."_

On hearing Brenda's voice they broke off their embrace.

Megan saw her mother glaring at her as her father just shook his head and said in a low voice:

"Not now...this can wait."

"No it can't, Gadget!" Brenda said sharply, and turned back to her daughter.

"You've got some explaining to do, Megan Bradford-Brown!"

Megan exchanged a puzzled glance with Felix.

"What am I supposed to have done?"

Brenda folded her arms.

_"You lied to Riley Scolex. You tricked him into having cybernetic conversion."_

Felix stared at his girlfriend.

"Riley again? Can't you leave that son of a bitch _alone_ Megan?"

"That's my daughter you're talking to," Gadget reminded him, "Don't yell at her!"

And Felix fell silent as anger smouldered in his undamaged eye.

Brenda was oblivious to Gadget and Felix as she looked at her daughter and continued:

"He was dying from his injuries and you lied to him. You told him if he had the cybernetic treatment you'd go back to him! Why the hell did you say that?"

Megan looked to Felix, then her parents.

"Just let me explain everything. Riley was dying. I _don't_ love the guy, I was through with him a long time ago – but I don't see why anyone should die when cybernetic technology can save their life! So yes, I manipulated him. I'll go and see him and tell him he misunderstood me. I'm surprised he can even recall the conversation - he was on his way out, Mom! I _saved_ him!"

Brenda gave a heavy sigh as she shook her head.

"Oh Megan, you just don't understand...he had already opted _out_ of cybernetic treatment _before_ his accident. He never wanted it to be used in any circumstance! You just let your pro cyborg attitude take over everything else! He wanted to die in a human body. That was his right to choose."

Megan looked defiantly at her mother.

"I don't accept that. I'm sorry Mom but I will _never_ understand how a person can be allowed to die when cybernetics can save them! Look at Dad, look at Felix – they're both still here because of cyborg technology! That's why I did it. I would have done it for anyone in his position! How could you sit back and let him die when you knew you could save him?"

"It was Riley's right to choose," Brenda said sharply, "You snatched that choice away from him!"

"But he's still alive, he's recovering, he's going to get on with his life!"

"He's not getting on with his life," Brenda told her, "He's devastated! He hates his new body, he wants to cut out his own wiring because he doesn't want it inside him!"

"But he's still alive, Mom! To me that's what should matter. It's got to be better than being dead."

"_Not to Riley."_

"I believe I did the right thing," Megan replied, "Dad agrees –"

"Oh no," Gadget said, "Don't bring me into it! You know I have no interest in pro cybernetic politics! Don't even mention it to me_. Dad_ is out of this conversation!"

Megan saw a flash of worry in his eyes, and then she slowly nodded, casting him a glance that assured him she would not be telling her mother that he knew about it all the long.

"I did the right thing," she said again, and then she turned and walked up the stairs.

Felix hurried after her.

"You don't still love him, do you?" he said anxiously.

"Oh don't start on _that_ again!" Megan said angrily, "No, I _don't_ love the guy any more - I love _you_, stop being paranoid!"

And the bickering continued as they reached the top of the stairs and walked off towards the bedroom.

Gadget turned to Brenda and shook his head.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Done what?" Brenda asked.

"Spoken about it in front of Felix. You know he gets insecure."

"No, actually, I didn't know that, Gadget – based on the fact that he's the most insensitive guy I've ever met, I didn't think he could truly understand what _insecurity_ means!"

Gadget thought again about the secret Brenda was hiding, but he kept his anger in check as he lowered his voice.

"Don't talk so loud when you're criticizing him. He doesn't deserve that. Are you _really_ so perfect that you can stand there and find fault in others?"

That look was back in her eyes, and Gadget wanted to grab her and slam her up against a wall, as he demanded to know what kind of betrayal she had hidden away from him for the two decades of his life that he had invested in her. But instead he held it back.

"Are you _sure_ there's nothing you want to tell me?"

She shook her head.

"Of course not."

"I won't ask again," Gadget replied and then he turned away and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Brenda called to him.

Gadget slipped on his coat and then grabbed his hat before snatching up his car keys.

"I'm going for a drive."

"I'll come with you."

"_I'm going for a drive alone."_

Then the door slammed and Brenda was left standing alone in the hallway while her daughter and Felix continued to quarrel and their voices drifted downstairs.

* * *

The Gadget Mobile had said very little as Gadget kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead and they raced through the darkening night towards the new apartment where Sylvia Rush now lived. The car had taken the hint and stopped asking what was wrong around the time Gadget had got in and slammed the door hard.

As Gadget stopped the car and got out, the vehicle finally spoke up:

"I hope everything's okay..."

"It is now," he replied, and then he walked away towards the building, then let himself into the apartment and closed the door behind him.

Sylvia was on the couch watching TV and she turned sharply on hearing the door close.

Then she smiled as Gadget walked into the room, but her smile soon faded as she saw the troubled look in his eyes.

"What's the matter?"

She got up and then her arms were around him and as she held him all his troubles seemed to melt away. It was easy to forget the world when he held the woman he loved and shut out all else.

Gadget held her for a while and said nothing and when he let go again he looked into her eyes feeling weary of everything beyond her front door.

"_Life_ is what's the matter, Sylvia – _and _family stuff. My daughter lied to her ex to get him to have cybernetic treatment. He was dying at the time , but now he's had the treatment he's recovering - and he's just found out she has no intention of going back to him. He's devastated on all levels – he lived for her before the accident, now he just wants to die because he's lost her all over again and because he's against cybernetic conversion."

"I'm sure your daughter believed she was doing the right thing. Although I'm biased, because I'm pro cybernetics too," Sylvia reminded him.

Gadget gave a sigh.

"I'll never get over the irony of it – I'm a heavily modified prototype who just thinks of himself as a regular guy, and I'm surrounded by women in my life who fiercely support all things cyborg... but I guess I should be grateful for that."

She smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"The cyborg aspect is just a part of you. It's not all of you, but it does matter, it matters a lot, especially to those who love you."

Gadget started to smile too.

"You've done it again; you just lifted the weight out of my heart."

And then he held her tighter, kissed her and decided he would not be returning home until daybreak.

* * *

Sanford Scolex was sitting in a chair by the bedroom window. He had been lost in his own thoughts for hours and now the sky had blackened and stars had pricked it and a pale moon was looming out of watery parting clouds.

As the lamp snapped on he turned to see Penny standing next to the bed.

"SJ's fast asleep," she told him.

Sanford turned back to the window. He wanted to see the stars but instead the light reflected the bedroom and his wife walking towards him looking transparent in the glass as she moved closer, ghost-like in a long sheer night gown.

She stood behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Riley will learn to adjust."

The mention of his son's name brought tears back to his eyes, along with a stirring of anger that remained buried in his heart.

"Gadget's daughter lied to my son. She tricked him into becoming a cyborg. Riley will never be able to accept life as part machine. I never wanted to lose him but I didn't want him to suffer, either. Now it seems he's going to suffer for the rest of his life."

Penny walked around the chair and faced him, blocking his view of the window as her honey colored hair trailed over her shoulders and she leaned on the arm rests of his seat and looked into his eyes.

"Sanford, _please_ forgive my Uncle Gadget. None of this is his fault. He didn't know Riley was going to fall from the bridge, and he certainly didn't know Megan was going to lie to Riley to get him to have the cybernetic conversion. You can't blame a good man for other people's mistakes. He's your friend. Please forgive him, do it for me."

Sadness reflected in Sanford's eyes.

"I can't," he said quietly "All I think about is the day I tried to raise him on the wire and it was turned off. He _could_ have saved Riley. He could have saved us both."

He briefly glanced down at the gleaming pincer attached to his wrist then he left it idle at his side and placed his hand on Penny's shoulder.

"I love you so very much. And I once loved your Uncle like a brother. Now when I think of him I recall he wasn't there when I needed him the most – and I think of my son and what happened to him. Don't tell me you wouldn't feel the same way if it had been SJ lying there injured. Just picture it for a moment – Gadget could have saved him, but he let you down. How would _you_ feel?"

Penny shook her head.

" I just know that none of this is my Uncle's fault. The two of you used to be so close. Please don't lose sight of that."

Sanford cautiously raised his pincer, sliding his arms around her and gently embracing her.

"Thank you for your concern," he said politely, "But I shall be up for a long time tonight, because my son is very much on my mind. Go to bed, Mrs Scolex."

Then he kissed her and let her go.

Penny felt an ache in her heart, wishing there was more she could say, wishing she could do something to persuade him to come to the warmth of their bed and close his eyes and sleep and let go of all that haunted him, but Sanford was decided.

"Good night, fat boy," she said softly "Don't stay up all night."

Sanford watched as she walked across the room and got into bed, then her reflection disappeared as she turned out the light and once again all he saw in the glass was the view of the night sky beyond it.

He considered her words, he felt sure she thought he had brushed it all aside, but he had taken in everything she had told him, and he understood her point of view – but it was too late because nothing could be set right again; Riley was a cyborg and wanted to die because of it. And to Sanford, it was Gadget's fault. He wanted to let go of that thought - but it was stuck firmly in his heart:

Gadget was to blame; he would always feel that way – and now Riley's life had been devastated all over again, this time by Gadget's daughter...

_It all seemed to go back to Gadget, no matter how he tried not to dwell on the past._

He wanted to listen to Penny, he wanted to mend broken bonds with her Uncle and feel warmth and brotherly love for the man who had once been his closest friend. But it was impossible now; too much had come to pass and the time machine no longer existed, so there could be no going back to alter destiny a second time...

Sanford briefly thought about all he had done for Gadget, everything from killing Jaxon Wilberforce to prevent the bridge explosion, to the day he agreed to be Gadget's bone marrow donor. So much had happened; they had faced it all together. Then he recalled how Gadget had traveled back to the past to warn him about his future. It had been Gadget who had turned him away from becoming Claw.

Sanford drew in a deep breath as he looked out at the night sky and thought about time and altered futures.

But nothing could take away the anger in his heart, nor the truth that was starting to bubble up from it and slowly trickle out like molten lava spilled from a ruptured volcano:

_He could not stop blaming Gadget._

_The truth of it was, he was starting to hate the man..._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Gadget woke up feeling warm and contented as he shifted closer to Sylvia.

He opened his eyes and smiled as he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair.

"What time is it?"

"Eight thirty."

"_I've got to go!"_

He sat up sharply and got out of bed, still feeling half asleep as he reached for his clothes.

"But don't you want a shower first?" she asked him.

Gadget was struggling into his pants.

"Forget the shower. I'll have to smell like Felix just for one day..."

"Felix?" she wondered.

Gadget was still getting dressed.

"My daughter's boyfriend. Sorry, I mean _fiance_. They're engaged."

She had sat up now, and she watched as he stretched out an extended arm and grabbed his shirt from the other side of the room.

"Your daughter is going out with a guy who _never_ takes a shower?"

"No," Gadget replied as he buttoned up his shirt and extended his arm again to grab his tie, "He had an accident...well, it wasn't _exactly_ an accident. He was attacked in his lab. He used to be a scientist. He's a metallic tattooist now. But he had to have part of his brain replaced with an electronic implant and it didn't go too smoothly. He's forgetful now. _And_ rude and crude and bad tempered, but he's always been like that, so I guess we can't blame cybernetics for everything... Nice guy though – deep down, when you get to know him."

She frowned.

"Felix? Used to be a cybernetic scientist?"

Gadget put on his tie and made perfect knot and straightened it then grabbed her comb from the dresser and ran it through his hair.

"That's right..."

And then he put the comb down and turned back to her.

"You know him?"

"Um...I've heard of him," she replied, deciding that to say more would be embarrassing on all sides for all concerned – it would do no good at all to tell Gadget that Felix Todd had once been a regular client...

Gadget was still rushing to get ready to leave.

"You probably have heard of him – he's a very gifted tattooist. He did the _G_ on my shoulder for me."

Gadget was still preparing to leave. Sylvia smiled as she shook her head.

"Small world..."

Gadget had just slipped on his trench coat.

He looked at her again.

"What?"

"I said, that's a coincidence. Felix, it's not a common name, but I used to have a client called Felix."

Then Sylvia smiled again, and then she giggled.

"He used to book up with me as Mr Pain. He liked to tie me up and do all kinds of weird stuff. He always paid me well. He was a nice guy when he wasn't role playing the scary stuff."

Gadget put on his hat. He was ready to leave but all she had said had concerned him as he wondered if she was actually talking about Felix Todd. It was no secret that Felix was a little on the kinky side, but now he was hearing these strange tales, he wanted to know more, because he was starting to worry...

"Scary? What do you mean by that?"

"He used to be obsessed with cybernetic mods. He wanted to do stuff to me, you know, intimate stuff involving injecting certain parts of my anatomy with living metal. It was only role play he didn't ever try to do it. I made it clear he wasn't allowed to. But he really got off on it."

Gadget thought again of Megan's partner, and then he shook his head. He hoped she wasn't talking about Felix Todd, and in a strange kind of way, even the detective in him was uneasy about asking more.

"Let's not talk about your clients," he replied, "Those days are over now. I don't want to hear it."

Guilt clouded her eyes as she stood up.

"Sorry," she said quietly.

The look in Gadget's eyes softened.

"Don't do it again. Your past is gone, your life now, _and_ your future, is with me."

He had spoken those words with such warmth and as she put her arms around him and looked into his eyes, he felt sadness weigh in his heart as he thought again about all the things he longed for that could never come about.

She caught the flicker of sorrow and looked at him intently.

"Gadget? What's wrong? Is it me, is it what I said? I _told_ you I was sorry –"

"No, honey, it's not you."

Gadget held her gently, not wanting to let go as he looked into her eyes and wondered what their son or daughter would have looked like.

"What's wrong? I've seen that look in your eyes before."

Gadget's heart still felt heavy. He gave a sigh and decided to come out with it and get it over with and speak of his regrets, and then hope by voicing it aloud the yearning for what could never be would leave him in peace.

"I fathered Megan before my accident. I'm now seventy percent cyborg and everything I used to have below the waist is gone. And when I look at you –"

"But you _know _I don't care about that!" she exclaimed, "I'm the one who told you to take that damned plate off – I love kissing your flesh, and your wiring more than makes up for what's missing. I see you as whole; I miss _nothing _when I'm in your arms!"

Gadget smiled on hearing her say that, but then his smile faded.

"Thanks for saying that, I know how you feel. And I'm glad you feel that way. But that's not what I mean."

And he fell silent. There had been times in his life when words were impossible to find, when they just got stuck somewhere between his heart and his throat, and this was definitely another one of those times.

"What is it?" she asked him.

He looked at her and felt awkward.

"_I wish you could have my babies."_

He had spoken so softly as he met her gaze, and then fell silent as he wondered why he had even bothered to voice aloud the impossible.

Sylvia was still standing there up close to him with her arms around him, and she considered what he had said, and then replied.

"Well I'd have to give up on the idea of going back to med school. That's a big responsibility; I'd have to rethink my plans. But if that's what you want, okay _– I'll do it_."

Gadget stared at her.

"But you can't."

"You don't have to be with me all the time to have a baby with me, Gadget! I understand you can't leave Brenda after all these years. But I also love you. I would love us to have a baby."

Then she smiled as her eyes lit up.

"I said yes, I want us to do it. _Let's go for it_."

Gadget was still staring at her in utter confusion.

"You went to cybernetic med school for several years. You know I can't father any more kids with the extent of my modification!"

She looked rather surprised to hear that remark.

"_Yes you can."_

Gadget let go of her. He was still staring at her and feeling bewildered by her statement. It seemed to make no sense at all...

"Honey, I can assure you, I can't have any more kids. You've seen my body enough times, you know what's there and what isn't –"

"Of course I have. But you're forgetting about cybernetic conversion guidelines that became law three years before the Gadget Program ever got off the ground. You know, the first ever laws governing cybernetics that were ever passed? I learned all about it in med school. It's like the ten commandments of practice for human to cyborg conversion..."

Gadget shook his head.

"I don't know anything about cyborg politics."

Her eyes widened.

"Then I guess you should start learning! It's enshrined in law that when a person undergoes cybernetic conversion because of severe injury, if the reproductive organs are too damaged to be saved, steps must be taken to at least preserve an option for fertility later on. So ovaries are harvested from females and sperm is taken from males, it's cryogenically preserved so it's always there, to keep options open for planning a family."

Gadget drew in a slow breath.

"I don't think that happened with me."

"Yes it did," she told him, "You know that small area of skin that's still intact that's right below the plumbing valve? You have a circular scar down there. That's where the sample was taken before you were put back together."

Gadget tried to breathe again and suddenly the room seemed to be lacking in oxygen.

He thought about the guilt he had seen in Brenda's eyes when she had started to talk of the past and all she had said had sounded like some kind of confession, yet made no sense...

Anger swirled about inside him as he blinked back tears.

_"She never told me!"_

Sylvia's eyes widened.

"What? Brenda never told you about it? Are you sure? She wouldn't do something like that, would she?"

"She obviously did," he said as his voice darkened, "Now I get it! She said Megan was a baby and Penny was a teenager, it was enough to handle - and she had her career to think of! She kept quiet about it; she never wanted me to know. She did it because she didn't want any more kids. She didn't want any more kids with _me_."

He drew in a sharp breath and wiped his eyes to clear vision blurred with tears.

"I need to go home and talk to her about this. I want to hear it from her, I want to know why she did this!"

Gadget turned to leave and Sylvia snatched at the sleeve of his trench coat.

"Gadget, wait!"

He looked back at her sharply, and as she stood there looking up at him she caught a look in his eyes somewhere between rage and bitter regret, and swiftly let go.

"Please don't do anything you might regret."

Gadget's eyes were still tearful.

"I already regret too much," he said in a low voice, "I regret staying all those years with a woman who decided _for_ me that Megan would be our only child!"

And then he left the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

As she heard the Gadget Mobile take off with a squeal of tires, she silently hoped Gadget would have time to think on the drive home, and that it would allow him space to calm down. She was afraid for him, because the look in his eyes when he had left had been dark and bordered on murderous...

* * *

As the front door closed heavily Brenda was preparing to leave for work.

She hurried down the stairs just as Megan came out of the kitchen and Felix yelled, "Who the heck just slammed the door?"

"_Where did you go last night?"_ Brenda demanded as she walked up to him_, "Don't tell me you slept in the Gadget Mobile again because I don't believe you! I want to know who she is!"_

There had been a time when that question would have shocked him. But now all he could think about was his own anger.

"It all makes sense now," he said, keeping his voice low as Megan began to walk up the hallway to join them, "That big apology you gave me yesterday... I get it now, Brenda. I know what it's about. You took control of everything from the moment you were put in charge of the Gadget Program. But you didn't stop at the program; you decided to control me, too. _To make all the choices for both of us_. "

His hand was screwed up into a fist and he was remembering his powerful hydraulics, and the fact that his hand was metal beneath synthetic flesh. He had never wanted to hit a woman before, but now he felt like lashing out at the whole world and it was only his awareness of the fact that his cyborg body made for a very dangerous weapon, that kept him from losing control.

Megan had joined them.

She stared at him in confusion.

"Dad? What's the matter? Why are you looking at Mom like you want to kill her?"

Gadget took in a slow breath then replied to his daughter as he kept his gaze locked with Brenda's.

"Your Mom chose not tell me something many years ago, Megan. _I could have had more kids. You could have had brothers and sisters, but your Mom decided to stay quiet about it so she could get on with her big fat career!_"

Tears glazed Brenda's eyes as she looked at him.

"Gadget..." her voice was hushed, she could barely find it as she struggled to explain:

"Megan was a baby...and Penny was thirteen years old...That's enough, don't you think? That's enough for us, when I had the Gadget Project too –"

Gadget's hand choked off her words as he gripped her by the throat and pinned her to the wall. He saw fear in her eyes but he was keeping a careful watch on how tight that grip was becoming. He didn't want to hurt her, he just wanted to force her to look into his eyes as he told her how she had made him feel. He heard Megan give a sob of fright.

"_Daddy please don't hurt her!"_ she begged him.

He kept his gaze locked on Brenda.

"_Hurt _her?" he fumed, "She's been hurting _me_ for twenty years, Megan! She lied to me all that time, she let me think not only was my body gone but I couldn't father any more kids, either! And that part was a _LIE!_"

Megan blinked as the words registered. Gadget let go of Brenda's throat.

"What?" Megan said in a hushed voice, "Is this true Mom? What have you done? What did you do that to my Dad for?"

"Hey let's all calm down, shall we?" Felix offered as he approached them, "Gadget, come and sit down with me. I know its early but we can get together, just us two guys, have a beer and talk this through. You can't go grabbing your wife by the throat...you're a cop, you know that already."

"Keep out of this," Gadget said, turning to Felix with eyes blazing in anger.

Felix held up his hands and stepped back.

"Okay, I'll back off. Please remember none of us have your modifications, and a pissed off Gadget can be scary for everyone..."

And he glanced briefly at Megan.

Gadget saw fear in his daughters eyes, and took in a deep breath as he fought to push back his rage.

"I'm sorry," he said, blinking away tears, "But I've just found out me and your Mom could have had more children. When I was modified I had sperm frozen, didn't I?"

He had directed the question at Brenda. Tears ran down her face as she nodded.

"And you chose not tell me, am I right?"

She gave a sob and nodded again.

"Is it still there, stored away at the lab?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

Gadget leaned in from his extending neck, his face a fraction from her own as his eyes blazed.

_"Have that sample moved to the free hospital owned by Taylor Braydon. Its mine. Its not yours, it never was and now I know about it, I want to keep it safe!"_

Brenda gave another sob.

"Okay...I'll do it...I'm _sorry_, Gadget..."

His neck was still gleaming silver as he stood there with it extended, his face up against hers.

"Tell me why you did it."

"Megan was a baby...and Penny was thirteen! That was enough for me, I had my –"

"You put your job before _everything_, even my right to choose. Just like the day you turned me into a cyborg! Wasn't that a perfect outcome for you, Brenda! _Your boyfriend pulverized in a car wreck, your chance to show off your Frankenstein skills!_"

Brenda gave a gasp.

"_My... my what? No... It wasn't like that –"_

"Yes it was."

Gadget retracted his neck sharply and it clicked back in place audibly.

"_NO, no, it wasn't like that..."_ she protested tearfully, _"I thought I was doing the best for you, Gadget."_

His eyes were still blazing.

"By making all the choices? By making every decision that affected our family since that day? No, that's being controlling. I can't forgive this. You knew I wanted more kids. You know how much I cried over thinking it couldn't happen, when I cried over the parts of me that were gone!"

Brenda drew in a shaken breath.

"Let's not do this in front of Megan –"

"No, this needs to be said!" he snapped angrily, "She's nineteen, she's grown up, she can hear this!"

And he glanced at Megan, and then looked back at his wife.

"You never wanted me. You wanted the Gadget Project. I was your creation, that's all I was from the minute you got the green light to convert my body! I get it now, I understand why you don't want to look at me with the plate off my groin – you liked the metal and the sensors because it covered up the scars, it hid the reminders of what's missing, all you saw was a cyborg, _your _cyborg creation! I didn't even know I could take the thing off until _she_ told me! And I'm so glad she did because I feel human again in all the places that matter!"

Brenda stared at him.

"She? Who are you talking about?"

Gadget held back on the truth, and felt no guilt for it.

"Lets just say I got a second opinion," he replied, "And I also found out the truth. I can't forgive this, Brenda."

He slid his wedding ring from his finger and set it down on a small table beside the hallway phone.

"_Our marriage is over,"_ he stated, _"And I want that sample sent over to the Braydon Hospital for safekeeping or I'm seeing a lawyer this afternoon!"_

Brenda wiped away tears with a shaking hand.

"I'll go to work and do it right away. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Gadget. Please think about this. I don't want to lose you."

There was no emotion in his eyes as he looked at her.

"_Just do what I said. Do it today."_

Brenda turned and walked towards the door.

"Mom?" Megan called, and as she opened the door Brenda looked back at her.

"Just keep out of this, Megan – its between me and your father."

Then she closed the door behind her.

Gadget drew in a deep breath as he briefly closed his eyes.

"_I'm sorry."_

He looked back at Megan and Felix.

"Sorry," he said again, "But it had to be said, all of it. I couldn't pretend I didn't know the truth."

Megan felt caught between both her parents as she looked back at her father.

"What Mom did was wrong, I know that – and she should have told you everything a long time ago. But you can't leave her, not after all these years...you can't leave _us_..."

Gadget felt an ache in his heart as he looked at his daughter.

"I don't know what to do," he said honestly, blinking away more tears as his anger slipped away.

Felix took a step forward and placed a cautious hand on his shoulder.

"Come on," he said, "You've got to get back in control now. I get it, I'd be mad as hell too. I probably wouldn't have been so polite about it either. But Megan's right, you need to think about this. You're talking about throwing away twenty years."

Gadget looked at Felix and saw compassion in his undamaged eye. He thought about all that Felix had been through and again felt a strong bond with him. Felix Todd understood a lot about suffering, about loss and about learning to live with wiring and mourning the loss of a part of his human body. That bond between them seemed to strengthen in that moment and Gadget stifled a sob.

"_I feel as if she's taken everything from me!"_

"Time for a manly hug," Felix said quietly, and briefly hugged him, patted his back and then let go again.

"I know you feel bad for getting angry – but you handled it well," he added.

Megan blinked.

"_What?_ He had Mom by the throat!"

"But he didn't hurt her," Felix replied, and then he smiled at Gadget and patted his back.

"You pulled it back – thank God you did! Never hit a woman unless you're both naked, its consensual and there's a safe word involved!" he joked.

Gadget didn't raise a smile.

"And you're with _my _daughter, so _shut up_."

Felix caught a brief shade of anger flickering in his eyes and his smile vanished.

"Sure I'll shut up. Want a beer?"

Gadget shook his head.

"I should go to work."

"You look a real mess. You look like you've been crying. Stay home today. I'll make you a coffee, we can sit and talk."

Then he looked to Megan.

"Call your Dad in sick and then go to the studio for me – I've got two appointments today. Tell my eleven o'clock and my two thirty I'll have to reschedule."

Megan nodded and walked off down the hallway.

* * *

Felix put his arm around Gadget's shoulder and steered him towards the front room.

"Let's sit down and talk about everything," he said, "Get as mad as you want, too. Just get all this the hell out of your system before you see your wife again."

"She's not my wife any more," Gadget said as they walked down the hallway, "I didn't marry a liar, I didn't marry someone who wanted to control every aspect of my life!"

And as Felix led him into the front room, he felt thankful to call him a friend.

Felix said nothing as they sat down together on the sofa, then he leaned back, pushed an untidy fringe off his silver eye patch, and spoke up again:

"She _is_ still your wife," he said, lowering his voice, "But I think you should take some advice on board – that other woman you mentioned? _Don't do that again. You'll just stir up trouble._ I don't know what's going on with you, but it's not as complicated as the kind of science I used to work with – I know you're seeing someone else. _Don't tell Megan, you'll break her heart_."

It was rare to see such an insightful flash of understanding from Felix, but he appreciated the advice.

"I think you're right about that."

Felix hesitated, and then spoke cautiously.

_"So...who is she? Is it a serious thing or are you just banging her?"_

As he chuckled, Gadget gave him a look that wiped the smile off his face.

"Its serious! And I wouldn't be _banging_ anyone, Felix –"

"Of course not, I stand corrected. You can't do that, you're not built like that...sorry, I keep forgetting. So you love her, that's not your fault. A man can't help who he falls in love with. Just keep it to yourself, know what I mean?"

Gadget nodded.

"I'm not congratulating you for it," Felix added, "It might be a surprise coming from me but I'm actually a faithful guy. I love Megan, I'd never cheat on her. But maybe this happening with you and Brenda is a good thing. I couldn't forgive a woman who lied to me like that. I don't know if I'll ever want kids but I'm sure if I did, I couldn't forgive someone who stopped me from having them."

Gadget gave a heavy sigh.

"I don't know what to do," he said quietly.

"Do nothing, just think and chill out..."

Felix reached out for his coffee, and briefly stared at the empty table.

"I could have sworn I –"

Gadget managed a smile.

"You didn't make any coffee."

"No?"

"_No,"_ Gadget confirmed.

Felix got up.

"I'll go and do it now. Sorry about that, you know how bad my memory gets sometimes."

As Felix left the room, Gadget felt a deep ache in his heart. He looked down at the finger that had worn a gold band for so long and felt its loss, but had no intention of putting it back on. Brenda had admitted everything, and no matter how hard he wished he could pick up the pieces and start again, it felt as if everything was shattered now, and shattered so badly it was all beyond repair.

* * *

It was mid morning when Brenda walked into Robo Gadget's room.

He was sitting up in bed and he smiled as she came in.

"When is Dr Kramer coming over to take me home?"

"Not yet," she replied, "Its a little bit difficult. As you know Robo Brenda doesn't want you to return home, so its possible that you may have to stay here for a while."

"How long?"

Brenda ran her fingers through her hair, then blinked and looked at him with tearful eyes.

"I don't know yet, Robo Gadget. I'm sorry, I've had a bad morning. I should have come to see you an hour ago."

Robo Gadgets head tilted slightly as he noticed her expression and her reddened eyes.

"Have you been crying?"

Brenda shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. I'm here to work, not to talk about my problems."

She stepped closer to the bed.

"Would you like to get up today?"

His dark eyes shone excitedly.

"Have you found a way to fix me already?"

"No," Brenda told him, "We can't fix you. We may never find a way to fix you. I was hoping you might try using a wheelchair today."

The hopeful look in his eyes was gone.

"Oh...okay," he said sadly, "But I _really_ want you to fix me."

Brenda looked at him kindly.

"I can't fix you," she said honestly "Sometimes things go wrong and they just can't be fixed."

And then she couldn't hold it back any more as her thoughts turned back to Gadget, and she gave a sob.

"I'm sorry, I'm in such a mess today..."

Then he gently took hold of her hand. His touch was warm and as she looked at him, he smiled as kindness shone in his eyes.

"You don't have to tell me about it," he said, "Not if you don't want to. But I don't like to see ladies cry. Would a joke help?"

And Brenda sat down on the edge of his bed and smiled.

"No, but you're very kind," she told him, "And thank you for being so thoughtful."

He smiled back at her and his eyes lit up.

"I'm a thoughtful android?"

"Yes you are," she told him, "And I never noticed that before today."

Then Robo Gadget started to talk to her about his plans when he left the cybernetic center. Brenda listened, letting him talk as she decided it would do him no good to be reminded of the fact that he would never walk again. As he talked, she found her worries sliding away, at least for a while. Robo Gadget didn't have plans that amounted to much past going home and going back to work again, but he spoke about it with such enthusiasm that she felt glad of his company.

* * *

Sanford Scolex stood on the porch of the beach house and rang the bell.

He waited, feeling awkward as he recalled how nothing had been the same since the incident at the bridge. He only had to think of Riley and anger filled his heart as he recalled how Gadget had let him down. It was not something that could be easily forgiven.

But he was here at Penny's request, to try to mend everything. He didn't want to do it, but he loved Penny and when she had spoken to him about Riley coming home and how the past needed to be laid to rest, it had made sense – but only while he was with her, looking into her eyes and listening to the sound of her voice as he thought about how that young woman was his rock in the worst of times, of how she would never let him down.

But she had stayed at home with SJ.

Now he was here at the beach house alone and her words had all slipped away, replaced by hatred as he thought about how he blamed Gadget for his son's fall from the bridge.

There was no reply and he knocked again.

Then the door opened.

"Okay, you don't have to knock so loud!" complained the man who stood there with uncombed hair as sunlight reflected off his silver eye patch.

"Sorry, Felix. Is Gadget home? I called in to work and they said he was sick?"

"Not exactly sick, more like sick of Brenda – they had a big fight – but that's none of my business. He's not in the best of moods, but he's out in the garden if you want to go and say Hi."

And Felix stepped back and opened the door wider.

Sanford went inside and Felix led the way through the house.

When they reached the garden, Felix called to Gadget, indicated to Sanford, then turned away and walked off in the direction of his studio.

Sanford took in a deep breath and went outside and made his way over to the bench where Gadget sat in the middle of the lawn while the birds sang in the trees and the sea rolled to shore beyond the low wall at the bottom of the garden.

"Is everything all right Gadget? I heard you had a quarrel."

Gadget turned around.

Sanford was standing there looking his usual immaculate self in a dark suit and a silk tie – but the Claw attached to his wrist sent a shiver down his spine and all the wiring attached to it, because the sight of it instantly transported him back to another time and place, in the world before he had used the time machine to alter destiny.

Sanford walked over to him and sat down on the other side of the bench, then leaned on the table and fixed him with a look that was far from friendly.

""So _did_ you?"

"Did I what?" Gadget asked.

"Quarrel with Brenda, I know its none of my business but your future son in law isn't exactly the soul of discretion, is he!"

Gadget let that remark go – Felix had sat with him for the best part of the morning while he talked over his troubles.

"Me and Brenda are more or less finished."

Sanford blinked. Then he laughed a little too hard and loudly, it bordered on the way he used to laugh in the old days, in the other timeline, and then as he shook his head and remarked that what he had just said made no sense, Gadget felt a chill creeping over him once again, it felt as if another reminder of the past was reaching back to grab at him, like time was trying to right itself and set life back on the original course, starting with Sanford, turning him into Claw...

He wanted to brush off that thought, but the warmth that used to be present in his eyes was gone and it was undeniable that looking at him, especially with the pincer for a hand, made him feel as if another piece of the other past had just fallen back into place.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Sanford exclaimed, "You're either with her, or you're not! It must have been some quarrel!"

And then the amusement faded from his voice and Gadget wondered if he had laughed for another reason – perhaps because he was enjoying the fact that he was so unhappy, that he was glad he was breaking up with Brenda?

He had no more time to think about it as Sanford changed the subject.

"I came here to talk to you about Riley. He's coming home at the end of the week. Penny wants us all to make the effort to get along. I know she's right, of course I do. My Penny is always right about everything. But this is going to be difficult for me. I can't forget what happened, Gadget. I can't let go of it."

Gadget was already aching for his loss of Brenda and the marriage he had once invested such trust in, but to hear talk of no forgiveness from Sanford made that pain drive deeper.

"I've told you so many times, if I'd been there that day I would have helped both of you, I would have saved Riley! I'll always blame myself for turning off my wire."

"Why _did_ you turn it off?"

Gadget blinked as he looked back at the man who had once been his closest friend.

"_What?"_

"Why did you turn off your wire that day, Gadget? You never did tell me what was more important than coming to my son's rescue."

The tone of his voice was accusing and matched the look in his eyes.

"I want answers," he added, and Gadget looked at him in silence as the sea rolled to shore beyond the wall at the back of the garden.

"The...the day I had the wire off?" he asked nervously.

Sanford held him in a steel gaze.

"Yes, _that_ day. The day my son fell from the Riverton Bridge, the day I fell with him and lost my hand. You know, that day when you were nowhere to be found, when you shut down all lines of communication!"

Gadget took in a slow breath. He thought of all the years he had been close to Sanford, of all they had been through together...

"_I was with a woman. I was making love to her. And no, before you ask, it wasn't Brenda."_

Gadget had replied in a hushed voice, and as he looked into Sanford's eyes and silently begged his forgiveness, his former close friend glared at him.

"I lost my hand and my son almost died that day. _Was she worth it?_"

"I love her," he said quietly.

Sanford stood up.

"I'm off work for a while; I'm staying home to look after Riley. I'm sorry, Gadget – I can't continue this conversation with you. I've promised Penny I'll try, because she wants us to be close like we used to be. I don't think that can happen."

Then he turned and walked away, as Gadget sat alone at the bench and turned his face towards the rolling surf beyond the wall and shed tears for the friendship he had lost.

* * *

Brenda was in her office when the phone rang.

She snatched it up at once hoping it was Gadget, yet not sure what to say at all.

"Hello," she said, and then fell silent as she waited for him to speak.

But it wasn't Gadget.

"Brenda, its me," said Taylor Braydon, "I want you to know I'm sorry for telling Gadget all about Eye of the Storm. I'm scared, too."

"Why?" she asked him.

"Well, Taylor replied "When I promised the other investors I'd keep quiet about it because its top secret, I said _cross my heart and hope to die..._ now I'm scared I might _actually_ die."

Brenda managed to smile on hearing that remark.

"Oh Taylor, don't be silly. It won't happen, its just words, don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" he asked her nervously.

"I'm very sure!" she replied, "Is that all you called me for?"

"No," Taylor told her, "Actually I had another reason for calling. I'm _really_ sorry about this, but the other investors took it to a vote and decided to demand the machine is tested out on a single experimental basis. I have no say. It's a case of go along with it or the whole deal collapses and so does the Gadget Program. Its not ready, Brenda – I wanted months of safety checks before this went ahead."

Brenda thought of Gadget and blinked away tears. This was the worst news she could have heard, coming at a time when everything between them felt so fractured.

"When is the experiment scheduled to begin?" she asked.

His reply knocked the breath from her lungs.

_"Tomorrow morning nine am. I'm sorry, Brenda, but I can't stop it going ahead."_

She was still trying to find air. When she spoke again her voice trembled.

"Okay Taylor. Thank you for telling me. I'll be in touch soon."

Then she put down the phone and turned her gaze to the framed picture on her desk of her and Gadget embracing in happier times. She picked up the frame and looked at Gadget's picture and stifled a sob as she thought about the danger he was about to be exposed to – again this was something that would happen without his consent... So many years of regret hung over her like ghosts as she thought of the past and all the mistakes she now bitterly regretted:

Gadget was in danger, and suddenly it seemed too late to say sorry, too late to tell him how much she loved him and how much she regretted her past mistakes – _suddenly, it was too late for everything..._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Gadget heard the front door close it was almost three in the afternoon.

Felix had swapped work for a beer eventually at just gone two, and was already on to his second bottle while Gadget had stuck to coffee.

Megan got up from the couch.

"That must be Mom..."

"I'm not fighting with her any more," Gadget said quietly, and Felix got up too and placed his hand briefly on his shoulder.

"Don't lose it again," he reminded him, "I'll be in the garden if you need me."

And then he shot a glance to Megan.

"We'll _both_ be outside."

"But I wanted to -"

"_No."_

"Felix, I said I want to stay and –"

He grabbed her by the hand and led her towards the open doors that led outside.

"No, you're coming with me. Give them space," he said quietly, and Megan cast a worried glance back at her father before leaving with Felix.

* * *

Moments later Brenda walked into the room.

One look in her eyes told Gadget she was devastated.

"I'm sorry for the way I behaved," he began, "I shouldn't have grabbed you like that no matter how mad I was. There was no excuse for it."

Brenda blinked and tears ran down her face.

Seeing her cry made him ache to hold her, but instead he just looked at her.

"I don't know what we can do to make this right," he said quietly "I don't think it will ever be the same, not for me – the trust is gone."

Brenda stepped forward and looked into his eyes.

"Gadget," she said tearfully, "_Please_ listen to me – I need to tell you something –"

"No," Gadget replied calmly, "_You_ listen to me. My trust in you is gone. This isn't something I can forgive, Brenda. But I've been with you for a long time and it would hurt Megan if I walked away. _So I'm not going to do that._"

Brenda gave another sob, fell to her knees and continued to sob as she wrapped shaking arms around his legs and wept against him.

Gadget looked down at her crying as she clung to him and knew in an instant that he could not let her suffer any longer.

He reached down and ran his hand over her hair.

"Don't cry," he said softly "Don't fall apart, Brenda."

She looked up at him and seemed so scared and lost as she gave another sob.

Gadget knelt down, eye level with her and wiped away her tears.

"Shh," he said, "That's enough, no more fighting, no more of this anger...come here."

And Brenda crumbled into his arms and wept some more as he held her. She was shaking and he held her tighter as she pressed her face against his shoulder, sobbing words of apology over and over.

"Come on," he said again, "I get it - you're sorry - stop crying, I'm not going anywhere."

He continued to hold her, feeling torn between wishing she would stop crying, and then aching in his heart because he knew it would be a while before he could afford himself the luxury of waking up in the morning beside Sylvia, in her arms, in her bed – the one place where he knew he wanted to be, where he knew he belonged...

Brenda took in a shaky breath and found her voice again.

_"Gadget, I'm scared...Taylor called. He said they want to start the experiment tomorrow; they want you in the machine tomorrow morning! He can't stop this, I can't stop this, no one can delay this ... I know it's not safe yet. There's so much risk..."_

Her words had chilled him, but he didn't show it as he looked into her eyes.

"I won't refuse," he told her," I know everything is at stake. If the Gadget project shuts down now, I lose out too. I'm doing this – I want to do it and get it over with."

"But its dangerous!" Brenda was still distraught.

"It's going to be fine," he promised her, "I'll get through it, and then we can get on with our lives – we'll put it all back together some how."

Then he held her tightly, not letting her see the fear that reflected in his eyes as he thought silently about the machine and the risk he was about to face...

* * *

By nightfall, the Scolex house was in darkness.

As the moonlight shone through the window, Penny turned on her side and ran her hand over Sanford's chest.

He opened his eyes and looked at her as his pale eyes reflected silver in the moonlight.

"I wasn't sleeping."

"I know. And you haven't said too much, either. Are you going to start talking? Tell me what happened, fat boy. Tell me about how you my Uncle agreed to put the past behind you."

Sanford gave a sigh.

"There's nothing to tell."

"Which means you're _not_ telling me something..."

A flicker of annoyance showed in his eyes.

"Oh, if you must know it didn't go well at all! I can't forget it, Penny. I can't forget he wasn't there when Riley needed him. I can't forget any of it. And don't ask me any more, I _don't_ want to talk about it!"

He turned his back on her.

Penny gently placed her hand on his arm, closing her fingers in a gentle grip. Suddenly that grip became tighter and she tugged at his arm, whipping him on to his back as she sat astride him, pinning him down as she looked into his eyes.

"_Don't_ turn your back on me!"

Sanford blinked, looking up at her nervously. Penny was not a woman to underestimate; at times he adored her for it, but at a time like this, he felt rather nervous as she held him down.

_"The truth!"_ she demanded.

"I can't tell you," Sanford replied, "It's _not_ about me and Riley, I just can't tell you what was said...leave it!"

Now she was getting angry. Her gaze hardened as she looked down at him and her hands slid to his wrists and pinned them down.

"My pincer could easily break me out of this predicament!" he exclaimed.

"Your pincer has normal cyborg strength, fat boy. Don't try to fool me, I'm too smart for it. What are you hiding?"

Sanford looked up at her and a smile crept across his face.

"I know you're rather angry, but I wish you hadn't chosen this position to trap me...I'm a little bit getting excited..."

The look she was giving him turned into a glare.

"Tell me what my Uncle Gadget said!"

He gave another sigh.

"Penny, it doesn't matter! We came to the conclusion that we can't go back to being as close as before."

"But my Uncle _wants_ to be close to you again! He wouldn't just change his mind Sanford! Tell me the truth or I'll stay here all night, like this, and _you _can stay frustrated!"

She leaned closer, moving her body ever so slightly against him. Sanford caught his breath and gave in.

"I didn't want to say this – you won't thank me for it – _Gadget said he turned off his wire because he was with another woman. And he said that he loves her._"

As Sanford had started to speak, Penny had smiled, but her smile vanished as her eyes widened as she took in all he had said.

"He's done _what?_" she exclaimed.

She let go of his wrists and as she climbed off him, Sanford took in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. You pushed me to it. I didn't want you to know something like that, I knew you'd be upset. But that's what he told me."

Penny was shocked as she thought of her Uncle Gadget. He just didn't seem the type to go off with another woman...

"But he wouldn't do that, My Uncle wouldn't do a thing like that –"

"Penny, he's a man, and he can fall in love like any other. I don't know who she is, he didn't tell me. But he's bloody serious about her. This isn't some five minute fling, he really loves the girl!"

"Oh no!" Penny said, "I wish I didn't know this – I can't tell Megan, I can't even tell my Uncle that I know!"

"You forced me to tell you!" Sanford reminded her.

Penny turned on her back beside her husband and ran her hand through her long hair as she looked up at the ceiling.

"What a mess! I can't believe he would do something like that!"

"It can happen to anyone," Sanford reminded her, "Look at Megan and Felix – she was with my son when she met Felix! I didn't think she would have left _my_ Riley for that smelly, one-eyed, potty mouthed idiot!"

Penny stared at him.

"Sanford, you're being rather mean –"

"I know my dear, and I haven't finished yet - he thinks he's special because he used to be a scientist. It doesn't matter how smart he _used_ to be, or how _artistic_ he is now – he's still a thug underneath it all. _He has the manners of a pig, he can't have a civilized disagreement with anyone without putting his fist into someone's face or sticking his middle finger in the air! And he was like that before his head injury. I think he just uses it as an excuse to behave badly!_"

Penny was still staring at him as he spoke with such venom and gestured with his pincer, the silver catching moonlight as it gleamed.

"I can't believe you're being so cruel about Felix!"

Anger glittered in his eyes reminding her of the younger Scolex, who had run Scolex Industries with plans of world domination before Gadget had used the time machine.

"Can you blame me? My son gets dumped by Megan for _one-eyed Felix_ – wait a minute, it's all making perfect sense! Megan must take after her father! He cheats on Brenda, Megan cheats on Riley! It must be a _genetic_ thing!"

Hurt reflected in Penny's eyes.

"What does that mean, you think I can't be trusted too? You think I'd cheat on you, Sanford?"

Suddenly she was the one being pinned to the bed as his pincer tightened about her wrist.

"It would be the _last_ thing you ever did," he warned her darkly.

Penny looked into his eyes and felt a chill run through her blood as if a shot of ice had just trickled through her veins, and in that moment she flashed back to the memory of the man with the darkness in his eyes whose office had been at the top of the dark tower known as Scolex Industries...

"Don't do this," she said in a hushed voice.

Sanford relaxed his grip on her wrist.

"Do what?" he asked, oblivious to the evil that had just reflected in his eyes.

"_Don't turn back. Don't become him again."_

Sanford laughed nervously.

"I don't know what you mean, Penny. I changed my life a long time ago – I did it for my son. Don't you see he's everything to me? I love SJ, of course I do, but Riley is the child I lost. "

"_And Gadget brought him back to you."_

Those words hurt, but he refused to show it.

"I know he did, Penny. But he also let me down when I needed him. My son has a lifetime of suffering because of what happened on the bridge! Gadget let us down, because he turned off his wire to go and have a good time with some tart who probably wants nothing more than to be able to boast that she's _had_ Inspector Gadget! I doubt she loves him – he probably _thinks_ she does, but he would because he's getting older, he's just an old prototype now, and it's a bit of attention for him..."

Penny was looking at him doubtfully.

"I can't believe you just said all that. He used to be your best friend. You know he wouldn't do something like this unless his heart was involved!"

Sanford laughed on hearing that remark.

"No Penny, his _pleasure sensors_ and the wiring that's geared up to _heighten erotic pleasure_ is all that's involved here! It won't last. And I doubt he'll ever leave Brenda. He's not the kind of man to walk away; he's too wrapped up in duty."

Penny was still giving him that look, and now it was mixed with disapproval and unease.

"I don't like it when you talk like this. It's as if you're being weighed down with anger over Riley – _and _what happened to your hand. You're changing, Sanford."

He put his arm around her and his pincer rested lightly on her shoulder.

"Don't be silly. I'm still the man you love."

He leaned closer and kissed her.

"Now go to sleep, it's late."

As he closed his eyes, Penny stayed awake, thinking long into the night about her Uncle's situation.

Just before her eyes grew heavy and she slipped into a deep sleep around four am, she made a decision:

She would say nothing about Gadget's affair, because she didn't want to cause hurt feelings to those she loved – but she would find out who the woman was - she would find her and ask her _exactly_ what was going on...

* * *

The phone rang and cut through Sylvia's deep sleep.

She sat up and reached for the phone still feeling half in a dark, restful place where she had not dreamed, but at least sleeping had taken away the reminder that she would wake up alone without Gadget..

"Hello," she said in a tired voice.

"_Sylvia it's me, it's Gadget..."_

He sounded worried and at once she was wide awake.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have much time to explain," he told her quickly, "But I have to take part in an experiment over at Braydon Industries. It's the next step in the Gadget Project and its unsafe and they're rushing it and I'm scared, but I have no choice, I have to do this. I...I just wanted to say I love you. And you'll see me again soon, please don't worry if I'm away for a while. I'll get this over with and then we can carry on like before."

"Gadget? Is it really dangerous? How much danger are we talking about?"

He heard the anxious tone in her voice, and his own softened.

"It's a risk, but I've taken risks before. I'll see you soon, honey. I love you, don't forget that."

"I love you too –"

The call cut off, and Sylvia sat alone in bed still clutching the phone as she thought of Gadget and her heart ached as she wished life could be different, that she could be with him openly, that she could be there at Braydon Industries to wait for him instead of here alone at the apartment with no companion but silence as she waited for him to call her back, to tell her everything was okay.

Then she put the phone down, lay back and glanced at the empty space beside her, feeling empty inside too as her lovers absence set an air of misery about the start to the day.

She was sure she had never heard Gadget sounding so afraid before – he was a confident man, he faced everything with determination, but this time he had simply sounded unsure. Sylvia thought some more and then she got out of bed and headed for the shower, wondering how hard it could be to get into Braydon Industries to find out exactly what was happening to Gadget...

* * *

Gadget had left in the morning with Brenda.

They had barely talked even though Brenda still wanted to apologize – she was telling him over and over she was sorry for everything, and the fact that the date of the experiment had been brought forward had only added to her distress.

Gadget had said nothing as they drove towards their destination; he had explained everything to Megan while Felix had stared at him and then shook his head saying, _"They should have let you have a say, Gadget...this isn't fair."_

Felix was right; he knew it and so did Megan and Brenda and Taylor and everyone involved in the Eye of the Storm project. But he had no choice, and just wanted to get it over with.

Even as they left the car and walked into the building it was still on his mind that yet again, he had reached a point in his life when he was being manipulated, when he had no say in anything at all, but in a way he felt – resentfully - that he ought to be getting used to that by now...

They took the elevator to the top floor.

As the doors opened Brenda stepped out and Gadget followed.

"I'll take you straight into the chamber and prepare you for the experiment," she said in hushed voice, "You'll be out cold for forty eight hours – at least to us. But you will have the experience of being inside an intricate three dimensional world. The machine is based on the design of the dreaming machines that Jaxon Wilberforce created for his Waking Dreams project. But the design is only _based _on it – the equipment used is much heavier and you will be sealed inside a large capsule, wired to the machine and the fluid we have to run through your system will keep you stable while you're inside and hooked up to the Eye of the Storm – at least, that's how the theory goes."

And fear reflected in her eyes.

"That's also where the risk lies – the formula being used to keep you stable is untested and potentially volatile, at least on the human side of your body. But the investors have argued that being seventy percent cyborg ought to protect you. There's a big question mark hanging over this – we don't know anything, its all theory. That's why Taylor wanted another six months to be sure of the safety issues. I wish I could put a stop to this!"

Brenda blinked back tears.

Gadget shook his head.

"Don't try and fight against this – if I refuse, the Gadget Project is over indefinitely. Let's just do it and get the damned thing over with!"

Gadget walked on to the open doorway and then he stopped abruptly, looking at a large chamber that dominated one side of the laboratory:

Pipes and wires and machinery ran up its steel wall, the door was open and he could see inside the chamber where more machinery ran up the inner walls. _The sheer size of the machine had been a shock. The thought of being wired up to so much power was terrifying._

He knew he had broken out into a sweat as Brenda joined him after briefly giving lab assistants new instructions.

"Shall we go inside?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Gadget's throat had gone tight as he nodded.

Then Brenda led him inside and shut the door behind them, and the sound of the door closing steel on steel seemed to have finality about it, much like the closing of the door of a prison cell.

* * *

Sylvia's heart was pounding as she got out of the taxi and it drove away leaving her standing outside Braydon Industries.

She walked up to the entrance and hesitated on seeing armed guards. Then she recalled their reason for being here was the recent bombing, and she took in a deep breath and walked up to the open doorway.

"May I see your ID?" asked one of the guards.

"I must have forgotten it – I'm here about a job...I'm a med student...I was wondering if I could see Brenda Bradford?"

The guard looked her up and down, seeing a harmless looking young woman with pale hair that fell to her shoulders. She was wearing a light summer dress and was obviously concealing no weapons...

"Dr Bradford is busy, I've orders to say she can't be disturbed."

Sylvia's thoughts were heavily on the troubled tone of Gadgets voice, of the fear she had heard when he spoke to her on the phone.

"Can I leave my details, I'd at least like to take an application form?"

The guard nodded.

"Ask at the main desk."

"Thanks," she said and hurried inside, past more guards, and then slowed her pace as she looked around and caught sight of an elevator.

She walked towards it but then glanced back, and saw the guard at the door had just turned his head in her direction, and then she went over to a mirror on the wall and ran her fingers through her hair, then checked in the glass, saw he was still watching and went up to the desk.

The place was busy that morning, smart suited business people were heading for the elevator and others who had just arrived were waiting around for the woman behind the desk to deal with them.

Sylvia waited at the back of the queue and as she stood there, someone pushed past her.

"Excuse me," she said and then went to the front of the desk," Penny Brown – I'm here to see my Uncle Gadget! He called me and told me what's going on - and I demand to see him right now!"

Sylvia stared at her... Gadget's _niece _was here?

She watched and waited as the woman at the reception desk made a phone call, and then she listened as Penny was directed to the top floor, Lab number three. Then Penny turned and hurried over to the elevator.

Sylvia glanced back at the guard on the door – he was busy checking the IDs of more business people who had just arrived. She decided to take her chances while she could, and she left the queue and went over to the elevator.

Penny was waiting for it to descend; she looked tense as she watched the illuminated buttons.

"_Come on!"_ she said under her breath, and then she ran her fingers through honey colored hair and flipped it off her shoulder.

The doors opened at last and she stepped inside, jabbing at the button for the top floor.

Sylvia stepped inside too, just as the doors began to slide, and they closed and the elevator started to climb.

Penny's gaze was fixed on the floors as the numbers counted upward.

Sylvia took in a tight breath and spoke up.

_"I'm going to lab three."_

Penny looked around sharply.

"You're one of the investors?"

There was a flash of anger in her eyes that suggested she was not a woman to be messed with.

Sylvia shook her head.

"I'm just...observing."

Penny's thoughts were still on Gadget, and as she spoke she assumed the woman who stood beside her was telling the truth, because she had no reason to think otherwise.

"So what do you think about this experiment?"

"I think it should be called off," Sylvia said in a hushed voice, and as she blinked away tears she silently prayed that Penny wouldn't notice her eyes had become glassy.

Penny had looked back at the numbers rising as they headed for the top floor.

"Inspector Gadget is my uncle. He called me and said he has no choice but to do this – or the Gadget Program could be in jeopardy. I think he's taken enough risks serving this town as a crime fighter – he doesn't _need _the project to be taken a step further, not when there's an untested risk involved. I have to see him, I have to talk him out of this - there _has_ to be another way!"

"I agree," she replied, and they reached the top floor, the doors opened and she followed Penny out of the elevator.

* * *

Gadget was flat on his back on a steel table and the metal felt cold against his mix of human and cybernetic skin.

His gaze was fixed on the steel ceiling and machinery and pipes and wires that covered it – he felt as if he was sealed inside the inner workings, much in the way his own gadgets were fixed into his body. Brenda covered him up to his waist and then looked down at him.

"Are you in any pain?"

Gadget looked at her.

"It's not comfortable having tubes and wires and IV lines shoved into my body, if that's what you mean."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I'm against this experiment, you know that – but at least I'm here if something goes wrong. At the first sign of an adverse reaction, I'll get you out."

Gadget's eyes reflected fear.

_"I'm not ready for this..."_

"Try and stay calm," she told him, "And please, trust me. You _know _I love you."

He knew she loved him, but after all he had learned about the secrets she had kept, he felt sure his trust in her was gone – at least as far as their marriage was concerned. But he also knew Brenda would not let him come to harm.

"I _do_ trust you," he said in a hushed voice, and then she fixed a dark mask over his face. All vision was blacked out and his breathing sounded hollow as he took in a shaken breath and fought off a wave of panic, before taking another breath and finding that oxygen was flowing easily.

Brenda touched his hand.

"I'm going to close the door in a minute. The investors are watching from a screen in a separate room – they will be able to see your journey into the three dimensional world and what happens there, we can record it all."

Then she gave his hand a squeeze.

"Don't be scared, remember I'm here."

Then she let go and he heard her walk over to the door.

Another wave of panic covered him and he took in a slow breath. His micro chips had been temporarily removed from his chest, his gadget mode had been shut down and he was running on minimum power – because Brenda had told him his body would have to allow for a huge power surge once the sedative and the rest of the formula kicked in. He thought of Megan at home with Felix, he recalled the worried look in her eyes and kept thinking of his daughter as his senses began to slide off into somewhere dark and dreamless as the formula ran into his veins.

He was being dragged towards a sleep that he wished he could resist, but the sedative was too strong to fight against. He drew in a breath, closed his eyes and felt as if every light in the whole of the world had just shut off as he descended into a place where he knew nothing but the sensation of falling.

* * *

In the room beside the lab, a crowd of people in business suits had assembled to watch a large screen that currently showed static.

Sylvia had pushed her way in as Penny had stood at the lab door quarreling loudly and protesting that she had a right to see her uncle. The screen stayed blank, then burst to life with static, and then fell dark once more and slowly began to flicker.

Penny's voice could still be heard as she demanded again to see her uncle.

Then the lab door was locked and Penny stepped back into the corridor and gave a sob.

Sylvia left the room and went outside to join her.

"I don't think anything has happened yet. They're looking at a blank screen."

Penny blinked tearful, angry eyes.

"Good...I want the whole thing to fail without hurting him so they can shut it down forever!"

"Me too," she said quietly.

And then Sylvia thought of Gadget, recalled the fear she had heard in his voice and found her own eyes filling with tears, and this time she couldn't fight it.

"_I want him to be safe too."_

That statement had sounded like an admission of guilt, and as Penny caught the look in her eyes, she stared at her.

"You _know_ my Uncle?"

It was too late to cover it up – words could have made a thousand excuses, but the look in her eyes had already spoken for her.

Penny fixed an angry gaze on her and stepped closer.

"You're the one he's been seeing?"

And Sylvia just looked at her tearfully, saying nothing, because it was too late to say anything at all.

Penny drew in a tight breath as her eyes blazed.

"You're _my_ age!" she fumed, "What the hell gives you the right to take my Uncle Gadget to your bed? He's married, he loves Brenda!"

She finally found her voice.

"I love him too. He's happy with me –"

The sharp slap that almost knocked her sideways was unexpected, and shocked her into silence as her cheek stung and her face reddened from pain as more tears sprang to her eyes.

The hand that had slapped her had now screwed into a fist as Penny shoved her up against the wall.

_"You dirty little whore!"_ she yelled, "He doesn't love you, he _can't_ love you – "

And suddenly Penny was struggling as security grabbed her. A guard was asking her to _calm down and please leave_, and she was kicking out and refusing to give up the fight.

As a second guard helped to subdue her, Penny eventually stopped struggling.

_"Let me go, I'm Inspector Gadget's niece!"_ she fumed, and the men released her, but looked at her cautiously.

Penny held her hands up.

"I get it – no more fighting..."

And she shot another furious look at Sylvia.

"_Get out before I throw you out!"_

Sylvia turned and hurried towards the elevator, not daring to look back in case Gadgets niece took another swing at her. The doors slid open and she went inside, shut the doors again and hit the button for the ground floor. She was weeping as she began to descend, but before the doors opened on ground level once more, she had decided she would wait around on the lower level, at least until she heard some news, because she wasn't leaving until she knew Gadget was safe...

* * *

Gadget had stopped falling.

He opened his eyes and looked around, surprised to find himself in the middle of town.

It was quiet and no one was about. He looked up at the town hall clock and saw it was almost mid day.

"Sanford?" he said aloud, testing his internal wire, but no reply came back at him.

Gadget walked slowly toward the center of town, where stores stood empty and no cars were parked. Riverton looked like a ghost town, yet everything seemed so real... He passed a florist's store and paused to touch silken petals on roses set in an out door display. The petals felt like living satin. He paused to sniff them and the scent was heady, like in the way roses bloomed at their height in summertime.

And then he heard someone running.

He turned sharply just as Penny dashed around a corner and he grabbed her to stop her colliding with him.

_"Uncle Gadget,"_ she said tearfully, _"You have to help me, there's something wrong with Sanford..."_

Gadget blinked.

He was no longer in the deserted town – now he was in a room at the cybernetics center and Sanford Scolex was in bed, wired up to monitors as sweat poured from his body and he breathed heavily, his eyes were shut and he seemed to be locked in a heavy fever.

"Please don't die," Penny wept as she sat beside him and clung to his hand.

She looked at Gadget.

_"Find Riley,"_ she said urgently, _"Find him before he does something crazy!"_

Gadget's head was in a spin as panic consumed him.

The world went dark and the scene was snatched away, then he was standing alone in a field, the Gadget Mobile was parked at the roadside and as he looked up he saw angry dark clouds swirling rapidly as thunder rolled and lightning flashed. The wind was picking up and then as the second strike lit up the sky, the clouds split and yawned open, something was pouring out of the rip and he knew in a heartbeat that time had come full circle – the timeline was trying to right itself, wiping out all that had happened since fate had been twisted by the time machine...

"We have to go _now,_ Gadget!" yelled the car, and Gadget turned and ran back to the Gadget Mobile, jumping in as the rockets turned out and he slammed his belt into place.

"Take me home!" he said urgently. The face on the screen looked up at him.

"Home to Brenda and Megan?"

He thought of his daughter and Brenda and his heart ached painfully as a torn newspaper blew past in the wind that said _End of the world is coming..._

"No," he said tearfully, "Take me home!"

The rockets fired up on full power and the car shot off like a blur, racing to escape the skies as they started to break up, swallowed by a dark storm that seemed to blow the sky wide open.

As the car sped along, more flashes came to mind:

F_elix Todd in his studio, grabbing a scalpel and lunging at Riley._

_"You won't have her!" he yelled, "I'll kill you first, you son of a bitch!"_

As the two men collided, the scene was snatched away and replaced by others:

Mayor Wilson was laughing on a bright summers day as she posed for one more press photo and turned to Gadget.

_"Put an end to the Gadget Project?"_ she exclaimed, _"Never, Inspector Gadget...Riverton needs you!"_

Then he saw the highway.

A small blue car was sliding out of control, crossing over into oncoming traffic. _There was a squeal of tires as two cars collided on the highway. One bounced off and came to a stop in the middle of another lane, causing traffic to stop sharply, whilst the other car, Taylor Braydon's mint green convertible, slammed against the crash barrier as metal twisted and glass shattered..._

Then Gadget was back at Sanford's bedside, running his hand over his damp hair as he wept and leaned closer to him.

Sanford opened his eyes, briefly lifted out of the fever that consumed him.

_"He's getting stronger,"_ he whispered, _"Stop him, Gadget...stop Claw..."_

Then his eyes closed again and Gadget wept as he begged him to hold on.

The images continued to flash:

He saw another newspaper headline – _Psycho on the loose: Who is the Riverton Strangler?_

Then Felix Todd was in hand cuffs, his shirt blood stained as he was forced into the back of a police car.

_"It wasn't me!"_ he yelled, _"Gadget, tell them – it wasn't me!"_

Suddenly Gadget was out of the car, he was home at the beach house, and Sylvia was there, she was on the floor and weeping as two small boys clung to her as the storm raged overhead.

She looked up at him and gave a sob.

"Hold me!" she said fearfully, and Gadget sank to his knees and wrapped his arms around Sylvia and the children as the angry skies prepared to wipe out the time line, to wipe out everything...

Gadget felt as if he was falling again.

He heard his phone ringing, then his own voice speaking as he said, "Gadget here,"

_"It's Riley,"_ came the reply,_ "I've got your daughter, I've got Megan..."_

Then Sanford Scolex was leaning against a table in his study at home, he was weak and slowly raised his head, looking at Gadget with desperation in his eyes.

"I can't fight him...he's stronger than me..." he gasped, and the wall split apart, and out of the darkness stepped Claw, bigger and stronger than Sanford Scolex, this was Claw as Gadget recalled him from the other timeline – the two worlds had collided now...

_"He's mine!"_ Claw said, and dragged Sanford towards him, he cried out in alarm and reached for Gadget, but the darkness swallowed him and then only Claw remained, his old enemy, stepping closer as evil glittered in his eyes and he laughed.

_"There's no next time,"_ he told him darkly, _"This time I win, Gadget...I win!"_

And then the visions were snatched away and darkness and silence fell once more, and Gadget knew nothing.

* * *

Brenda was back in the chamber.

The machine was switched off and the tubes and wires that had connected his body to the machine had been quickly removed by assisting staff.

Brenda was in a state of disbelief as she delivered another shock inside the hastily opened up chest panel.

Gadget's heart remained still as the monitor continued to flat line.

_"Please don't do this, "_she whispered.

The second shock jolted his body again, and the heart connected to tissue and wiring began to beat once more.

As Brenda stepped back from the table she took in a shaken breath and looked at the nurse who stood beside her.

"Close up the chest plate but don't seal it down yet. And move him to ICU."

Then she watched as he was prepared to be moved, and as Taylor Braydon stepped through the open doorway of the chamber, she caught the shocked expression on his face, but could only feel anger for the man who had been powerless to stop the experiment.

"We can shut it down now," he said in a shaken voice as he watched the medics working on Gadget, "I'm sorry it came to this..."

Brenda turned away from Gadget and went over to the doorway, where she gave a sob and glared at him angrily.

_"You're sorry?"_ she said tearfully, _"Gadget went into cardiac arrest! He almost died!"_

Taylor's eyes had filled with tears as he nodded.

"I know," he said quietly, "And this will _never_ be allowed to happen again."

Brenda gave another sob, and Taylor put his arms around her and held her as she wept, repeating his promise as Gadget was moved out of the chamber that no one would _ever_ place her husband's life in danger again...


End file.
